Desperate Times
by Kayla the kawaii gurl
Summary: With Lisanna's reappearance, Natsu's been too busy catching up to go on missions. Unfortunately for Lucy the rent is due and with her partner preoccupied she's left with one last option. Oh well, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do… Eventual NaLu! Rating may eventually go up. *Ch. 17 CONTAINS ADULT MATERIAL!*
1. Chapter 1

KTKG Says: I do NOT own Fairy Tail. Wish I did though.

**Chapter One**

"Let's see what we have here."

Large brown eyes roamed over the huge billboard in front of them, searching for something, anything really, to pop out at them. "Dear Mavis let there be something here…" After another couple of minutes of searching Lucy closed her eyes in frustration and turned away to head to the bar.

Sipping the vanilla shake that Mirajane had made her earlier, she let her mind wander in an attempt to figure out a solution to her current predicament. What would that be you ask? Well, her rent was due, of course, and she had no money.

She sighed and turned her attention back to the board. It wasn't as if she had never been in this situation before. It was almost a regular occurrence for her to not have any money when her rent was due in two weeks. The problem this time around was that there weren't many jobs that she could do by herself. Yes, you heard that right. She needed a job that would pay enough to cover one month's rent that she could complete _by_ _herself_.

"You doing okay there Lucy?"

She shifted her gaze back towards the bar, her face not completely turning away from the mission board. "I'm fine Mira." She took another long sip of her shake in contemplation. "You don't happen to have any jobs that you haven't posted yet that I could do myself, do you?" Mira's eyes widened a bit. "By yourself? What about your teammates?"

Lucy pushed the now empty glass away from her, bringing her arms to fold in front of her and rest on the bar. "They're all busy. Erza was sent on a mission by Master and Gray is still recovering from his last solo mission." Mira nodded in understanding. "What about Natsu?"

"Natsu's been… busy."

Lucy watched as Mira's eyes travelled to the scene she knew was playing out behind her. She didn't have to turn around to see what caused the barmaid's slightly surprised expression. "Oh, Lucy…"

The blonde had to resist the urge to roll her eyes at the slight tone of pity that was laced in Mira's voice. Against her will, her head turned in the direction Mira was looking and a frown spread across her face. Sitting a few feet away was Natsu, laughing and carrying on with none other than Lisanna, Mira's younger sister.

Really, she couldn't fault the pink-haired dragon slayer. From what she had heard, he and Lisanna had been pretty close before she 'died', so of course with her reappearance he would want to spend time catching up with her. The thing was, it was starting to affect Lucy and her rent. She knew it sounded selfish but it was the truth. Not to mention the fact that she maybe, just a little, was starting to miss the idiot. She did, after all, kind of have feelings for him. Even Mira knew that.

She looked back to see said barmaid looking at her with what could only be sympathy in her eyes. Ugh! She didn't need sympathy she needed a job dammit! A huff of frustration left her and Mira finally put down the mug she had been wiping clean. "I don't really have anything for you yet, although there is one job you could do." She reached down to pull out her book of yet to be posted jobs. "Honestly though, I don't really think I want to post it for _anyone_."

Lucy grasped the piece of paper in her hand and gave it a once over, her cheeks burning as she reached the bottom of the request. "Oh um… yeah. I don't think this one's for me…" She quickly handed the paper back to the older woman who surprisingly didn't place it back in the book.

"I'm going to go ahead and post this, but really, that's all I have for today."

Lucy nodded in understanding, slightly depressed that there was nothing else for her to do. "Thanks anyway Mira." She stood, reaching in her pocket for the few jewels that she owed for her drink. "I'm going to head home. I guess I'll just have to check again tomorrow."

The white-haired woman nodded in response. "I'll keep a look out for something for you."

Lucy nodded in return and waved as she good-bye before leaving out of the guild. She was so lost in thought about her situation that she completely ignored the onyx-colored eyes that followed her on her way out.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Two days later found Lucy just as jobless as she had been before.

Once again, she was at the bar, this time with a glass of water to accompany her. With the decrease of jobs, Lucy's irritation seemed to increase ten-fold. She was jobless, her reserves were dwindling, and on top of that she had hardly talked to Natsu in almost a week. He hadn't even snuck into her bed once this past week.

She resisted the urge to sigh, as she's been doing quite a bit of it lately. She shouldn't be irritated that the pink-haired idiot hadn't been by in a while, but even she had to admit that it wasn't the same without him around. She kept trying to remind herself that he was catching up with Lisanna, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was starting to get… jealous. Yes she could admit, if only to herself, that she was beginning to feel the green-eyed monster rear it's ugly head. She needed a distraction, and she needed one now.

She turned to glance at the board and frowned instantly. Looks like that distraction wasn't coming any time soon for her as the board was looking pretty empty, save for the job Mira had posted the other day. Her frown deepened even further. If nothing else popped up soon, she was screwed. Erza was still out on her mission and Gray was still in recovery mode. Natsu on the other hand…

"Oi, Luce!"

Her head turned back around so fast that she swore she almost got whiplash. There, standing beside her at the bar was none other than the man that had been plaguing her thoughts lately. Natsu gave her one of his face-splitting grins and Lucy swore her heart stopped for a second. Had it been that long since she's seen it?

"Are you busy?" Instantly, Lucy's spirits started to soar. Was he asking her to go on a job with him? "Lisanna, Happy and I were going fishing. You wanna come?"

The urge to punch him in the face was almost irresistible.

Almost.

"I can't. I uh, have something to do. You guys go ahead and have fun." She was proud of herself for not following through on her urges. The way she was feeling, the last thing she needed was a fishing trip. He gave her a funny look that she couldn't decipher, his coal-colored eyes swirling with something she hadn't seen before. "You sure?" He frowned when she nodded but relented anyway. "Okay. I guess I'll see you later."

She gave into her desire to sigh as Natsu walked away, clearly disappointed, just as she was. Obviously the last thing on that man's mind was doing a job, as well as spending time with _just her_. Shaking her head, she ignored that last thought as she zeroed in on the request attached to the mission board once again. She was at her wits end and last resort. Looks like she was going to have to take the job. And just what job would that be?

Why, an exotic dancer for a bachelor party.

She knew that Mira had warned her against it. After all, Mira hadn't even wanted to post the thing to begin with, but beggars couldn't be choosers, and she most defiantly was a beggar right now. She was desperate for a job and even she had to admit that it paid rather handsomely. There was a chance that she wouldn't have to pay rent for at least the next three months. That fact alone had her really considering the request.

It wasn't like she didn't qualify for it. She had the body, she knew that, and she knew her face wasn't too hard on the eyes either. She already wore some revealing clothing as it was, and she wasn't afraid to use her sex appeal to her advantage. What she was afraid of, however, was taking her clothes _off_ in front of people. She would have to get over it though, as this was literally her last chance at being able to pay her rent. She really didn't want to be put out on the street.

Oh well. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

Looking around with renewed determination, she noticed that the guild was virtually deserted. Everyone of importance to her was either preoccupied or gone. Good. Quickly she stalked up to the mission board and snatched the request down, practically running back to the bar where she slammed it down on the counter, startling Mirajane.

"Mira! I'm taking this job."

Mira took the piece of paper from the blonde and straightened it out, her eyes widening as she got a gander at what it was in her hands. "Lucy!" The blonde cut off anything else the take-over mage was about to say. "Please Mira, I really don't have any choice at this point. It's a valid request after all." The blue-eyed woman wasn't pleased but remained silent nonetheless. "Please Mira…" Somewhere in the back of her mind, Lucy marveled at the fact that she was reduced to begging for a stripper job.

"Oh alright."

Lucy felt like a weight had lifted from her shoulders as the barmaid gave in. She grabbed Mira's hands in her own, practically jumping up and down. "Thank you!" Mirajane however frown, obviously not sharing in Lucy's enthusiasm. "Just promise me that you'll be careful with this. If the client seems shady, you quit, you hear me?"

Lucy nodded. Mirajane still didn't look convinced but went ahead and logged the request in the guild's records anyways. "Alright it's all done. Remember to be careful, alright?"

"I promise." Lucy turned to go but stopped when something occurred to her. "Hey, Mira? Can we keep this just between me and you?" This time, Mira allowed a smile to grace her lips. "Of course. I'll keep my promise if you keep yours." Lucy nodded before turning to head out to her apartment. She had some preparing to do, especially trying to find her nerve to actually go through with the mission.

The eviction warning posted to her door when she arrived home was all the motivation she needed.

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KTKG Says: Okay, so this idea just popped in my head and I decided to run with it. Let me know what you guys think and if I should continue on with it…


	2. Chapter 2

KTKG Says: I just want to take a minute to thank everyone that took the time to let me know they wanted this to continue! I'm here with a new chapter and I hope you guys like this one as much as the last.

**Chapter Two**

Lucy felt like her cheeks were about to burst into flames as her eyes scanned the colorful material in front of her. Any other time she wouldn't have felt so self-conscious. That was because any other time she wouldn't actually consider _wearing_ any of the… clothing… currently in front of her. Her hand buried into the lace and spandex material and she blanched.

Could you even consider it clothing? It honestly looked more like dental floss to her than anything, and that's something coming from her considering she wore thongs on a regular basis.

Her mouth twisted into a semi-frown as she turned to the display on her left. It was full of role-play costumes and she greedily searched for something, anything, that wasn't as revealing as what she had just been looking at. Settling on a nurse outfit she snatched up a matching garter belt and thigh-high stockings before heading towards the cashier.

When she met eyes with the small older woman, she felt as though she was suddenly going to spontaneously combust.

Gathering herself she forced what she hoped looked like a natural smile onto her face before she placed her items on the counter's top. "Hello dear, did you find everything you were looking for?" She nodded in response, trying to avoid the woman's gaze as she looked at the display of perfumes behind the counter.

"Oh, your boyfriend will love this!"

Her head snapped back down to her items instantly. "E-Excuse me?" The woman looked up at her, confusion all over her face. "Your boyfriend dear. Or are you already married? I would have thought you were too young for marriage…"

Her face was now officially on fire.

"Uh, um, no I'm not married! T-this isn't mine it's actually for a friend!" All she got in return was a knowing smirk. "No need to be embarrassed dear, there's nothing wrong with adding a little spice to your love life." She continued to ring the items up and after taking the correct amount of jewels from Lucy, she bagged everything up and handed it to her. "Don't you worry about it dear, I know he'll love it."

Deciding not to deny anything anymore, Lucy just smiled and nodded back as she turned to leave the store, vaguely wondering what Natsu would have thought about the costume in her bag.

She mentally smacked herself. The man was so dense he probably would have thought she was an actual nurse! To catch his eye she would probably have to dress up like a steak, or a dragon, or… Lisanna. She huffed to herself as she made her way down the street towards her house, intent on getting there without running into anyone she knew.

This thing with her and Natsu was really starting to get to her. It wasn't like she could totally blame him though, as the man was oblivious to everything around him. The truth was, she was starting to blame herself. She just didn't have the courage to confront him about anything, to tell him how she felt about him or how she missed him. She honestly couldn't be upset with Lisanna either.

As she unlocked the door to her apartment she decided that she would deal with all that later. Right now, she had to put her… outfit… away and get ready for her… lesson this evening. She sighed as she shut her closet. If she was going to do this mission, she was going to do it right.

But first, she was going to make a stop at the guild to relax for a bit to take her mind off things.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

It was starting to become evident to Lucy that she was not going to get any relaxation at the guild. Why was that? Well, it was quite simple.

It was because of the current topic of conversation.

"Lu-chan! Can you believe someone took that stripper job?"

Lucy remained silent and shook her head, not quite trusting her voice as Levy continued on with her rant. "I can't believe it! I mean, really, I personally have too much self-respect to take a job like that." Lucy let out a weak laugh as she played around with the food in front of her. "Uh, yeah, self respect…" Lucy didn't like the turn that this conversation was taking. "I wonder who it could be…"

As Levy took a moment to look around the guild Lucy kept her eyes trained on her plate, the feeling of shame currently running through her. She chanced a glance up and was met with a concerned look from Mira. She must have overheard their conversation. She watched as Mira put down the mug that was in her hands and place them instead on her hips.

"Levy."

The blunette turned back around at the sound of her name, eyebrows raised in question. "You know, I'm sure who ever took that job has a huge amount of self respect." Levy crossed her arms and leaned back a bit as she locked eyes with the barmaid. "Since when did taking your clothes off for money become respectful?"

Beside Levy, Lucy paled considerably. Her friend had no idea that _she_ was the one who took that job. She couldn't help the frown that spread across her face. It didn't help that Mira was trying to defend her honor either.

"Levy, no one said anything about taking clothes off. The request called for an exotic dancer, not a stripper, they're two totally different things." Both Levy and Lucy's eyes widened at Mira's words. "Besides, I think we should look at this request as a compliment. How many other guilds around here can you say have enough beautiful women for someone to request one simply for their looks?"

The three women fell into silence; Levy thinking over Mira's words while Lucy silently sent Mira a look of thanks. Mira had a point. The request _didn't _say anything about stripping, but still, erotic dancing was something else entirely. She glanced up at the clock and sighed. Time to get this over with. She stood and fished out the money for her meal. "Where are you going?"

"I uh, signed up for this new exercise class. I'm on my way to my first class."

Levy eyed her suspiciously and Lucy began to sweat slightly. She never was good at being a liar but in her defense, she wasn't really lying. Pole dancing _was_ considered an exercise in some places.

She waited patiently for Levy to chew on her excuse and praised Mavis when she looked like she took the semi-lie as a solid answer. "Oh, well, let me know how it is. Maybe I'll join you next time." Lucy smiled, nodding and then waving good-bye to the two and headed off to the exit. Unfortunately for Lucy, she was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she wasn't paying attention to where she was going and ran smack into someone.

She was headed down to the ground when she felt strong warm hands steady her. "Whoa Luce, what's the rush?" Her eyes flew open to see none other than Natsu grinning down at her, fangs gleaming in the guild's lights. "N-Natsu!" His hands fell away from her shoulders only reconnect behind his head. "What's up Luce? Where you headed?"

She felt her face fluster as she thought about the correct answer to that question. "I'm uh… headed home! I'm not feeling to hot right now and, uh, yeah I'm headed home." She mentally wanted to smack herself. She'd never stutter that hard in her life! How was it that this man managed to turn her into a complete idiot sometimes?

"Really? You want me to walk you home or something?" She quickly shook her head. "No, thank you though. I think I can make it." The last thing she needed was for him to be in her apartment snooping around. She didn't need him questioning her about her recent purchase. She came back to reality only to find the pink-haired slayer looking at her suspiciously. "Are you sure Luce? You look like you have a fever, your face is all red." Lucy felt the temperature in her face increase rapidly.

Thank you captain obvious.

She shook her head once more, patting him on the shoulder as she moved around him. "I'm sure you have plans anyways. You've been quite a busy boy." She took off before he could form a retort, yelling a 'see ya later' before practically running out the door, leaving a confused Natsu in her wake.

She didn't have time to think about that though. She was now running late for her class, which couldn't be good. The instructor seemed like she was really strict. Not something she was really looking forward to.

Natsu, meanwhile, shrugged off Lucy's behavior as her being her normally weird self as he headed towards the bar. He really felt like a tall fiery mug of whiskey and a plate of jalapenos.

He had originally come to the guild to see what Lucy was doing. She hadn't been at her apartment, since that was where he stopped first, so he decided to come here and see her. He hadn't really talked to her in almost a week and he missed her, plain and simple. While it was nice talking and hanging out with Lisanna, he had to admit that all it made him do was miss doing all of that with Lucy. Too bad she wasn't feeling good. Oh well, he'll just drop by her place later.

He settled himself down on a bar stool and greeted Mira with his usual enthusiasm. While Mira headed off to complete his order, Natsu allowed his hearing to wander a bit as he waited. Unconsciously he tuned in to Levy's conversation with Cana.

"I wonder what kind of exercise class Lucy went to tonight." His head whipped over to the right. Didn't Lucy just tell him she was sick? "Exercise class? Pfft. Why on Earthland would she need an exercise class? Have you seen her body?" The girls giggled while he felt a blush blossom up his neck to his spread across his cheeks. Cana could be really blunt when she wanted to be. "Ne, Cana, did you see that someone took the dancer job?"

"Eh? I knew I should have gone for it!"

"Cana!"

At that point, Mira had arrived with his order and he tuned out of the conversation. Absentmindedly, he began to munch on some peppers as he thought about what he had just overheard. Was Lucy really sick? If she wasn't why did she lie to him?

"You okay Natsu?"

He looked up to see Mirajane giving him a worried look. "Is your food to your liking?" He nodded while a smile spread across Mira's face. "I was just wondering, you looked unhappy for a second there. Everything ok?" He started to nod again but stopped. "Um Mira, do you know where Lucy was headed? She seemed like she was in a rush."

Mira considered him for a second before answering him. "She said something about an exercise class. She was probably running a bit late."

Natsu frowned at the answer he was given. He had been hoping that she was sick. He sniffed the air and caught Lucy's scent. It was still pretty strong; she had decided to use the flower perfume today that only brought out her natural scents more. Good, this worked in his favor then. He downed his whiskey and scarfed down a couple more peppers before jumping up. "Thanks for the snack Mira!"

"Natsu wait! Where are you going?" He smiled before turning to run out of the door. "I'm gonna go check into something!"

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KTKG Says: Hope you liked this chapter! I'll try to update as quickly as possible. Hopefully I'll be able to squeeze another chapter out before the holiday weekend is up. Then again, it all depends on how bad you guys want it… Review! Also, I might be upping the rating later for something that may or may not happen in future chapters…


	3. Chapter 3

KTKG Says: I don't own Fairy Tail!

**Chapter Three**

"Uhhhhnnnnnn…"

Lucy was in absolute heaven as her body sunk into the hot water of her tub. Her body was sore all over, especially her arms and abdominals. That of course was because of all the grinding she had done as well as trying to suspend her body weight with just her arm strength to help her. Really, who knew that pole dancing could be such a work out? No wonder strippers had the best bodies around.

Some water splashed her in the face as her arms slipped off the sides of the tub down into the water. Instead of lifting them back up to wipe her face she leaned her head back and let the water trail down her cheeks to her neck. Her arms were dead for the moment, and honestly all she wanted to do was sit around and do nothing. Relax. Vegetate.

Mavis, her instructor had been a complete maniac.

She had been the sole person in the class, which had been fine with her, but the woman had been a slave driver. First, she had to learn a dance, and then do it over and over again until she got it right. Twenty seven times to be exact.

She groaned again at just the thought of her routine. It was actually a bit humiliating, but more than anything embarrassing. It wasn't like she hadn't danced before in a provocative manner, she just hadn't done it before in front of _people_. That wasn't the most embarrassing thing about the session though. What really took the cake for Lucy was that her instructor told her to close her eyes and imagine that she was dancing for her _boyfriend._

Of all people, _Natsu_ was the person that popped in her head.

And the real kicker was her instructor was pleased with her performance there after.

Feeling her face redden she sunk further into the water. Dear Mavis she had been imagining giving Natsu a private show! Natsu! She had to admit that the fantasy had done the trick, but she wasn't sure it would work for the actual performance. She would be performing for a group of men, not just the pink-haired slayer because he wouldn't even be present for it. She would just die if he somehow managed to see it.

Gathering whatever strength she had left, she managed to pull herself out of the tub and make her way towards her room as she mulled over her upcoming job. No one she knew was going to be there because she had made Mira swear to secrecy about this. She was sure she wouldn't have to think up something to distract Natsu with seeing as he had plenty distraction of his own already.

When she finally made it to her bed she plopped down and curled on her side. She was so tired she didn't even bother with dressing for bed. Natsu hadn't been by in a while, as far as she knew, so she didn't have to worry about him sneaking in and seeing her almost naked. She cracked an eye open and looked at her half-packed duffle bag. Yeah, she'd finish packing in the morning too.

Tomorrow was going to be a long, trying, day.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Gray Fullbuster couldn't believe his eyes.

He looked around the guild once more just to make sure he was in the right place. Yep, this was indeed Fairy Tail. He looked at the clock, then the calendar that was on the opposite wall from where he sat. As far as he knew the time and date was correct. Taking a quick peek out one of the guild windows he saw that there weren't any natural catastrophes happening or fire and brimstone falling from the sky either…

"What the hell are you staring at?"

Gray's eyes widened in surprise. Okay, so it wasn't the end of the world, but something was definitely up with the man sitting across from him. For the last hour and a half, Gray had watched his friend and rival Nastu Dragneel sit across from him in what seemed to be a daze since his arrival to the guild. They haven't fought once and he had yet to hear an insult from him. "What the hell is wrong with _you_?"

Natsu growled in irritation as a response, prompting the ice mage to get up and give him some space. Once he was gone, the dragon slayer folded his arms atop the table before dropping his head down onto them to rest. Man he was exhausted, and it was all Lucy's fault.

Lucy Heartfilia.

He sighed as he sat up to lean against the back of his chair, his eyes trailing up to the guild's ceiling. He hadn't slept a wink last night all because he had followed his teammate's scent only to see… that. He felt his cheeks instantly heating up at the memory that had robbed him of his sleep.

Man, who would have thought that Lucy could move like _that_?

He had followed Lucy's trail to what looked to be a little studio a little ways outside of the town. He was confused at first when he spotted the blonde spinning around on what looked to be a pole. She had been dressed in just a sports bra and biker shorts, which he had to admit, looked very good on her.

When the little older woman started doing some weird movements, he had started to turn around and leave. At that point he had thought that it was nothing but some weird exercise class she had signed up for and only lied to him so he wouldn't see her being well… weird. However when Lucy started to do the same movements…

He slammed his head back down on the table with a groan, startling Gray whom had sat back down with his drink.

He kept replaying her dance over and over again in his head, because really, he had watched her do it at least twenty seven times before he managed to pull himself away. No matter what he did, he couldn't get the image of her grinding her hips or slithering down that pole out of his head.

Despite what people thought, Natsu was just like every other hot-blooded male out there. He was very aware after watching Lucy for a while that her 'exercise' class was something else that wasn't entirely as innocent as just exercising. He also knew that he would never be able to see Lucy in the same light again. As if the thoughts and dreams he had about her _before_ spying on her lessons weren't enough. He sighed again into his arms in frustration as that last thought echoed through his head.

It was true that he had recently started seeing his teammate in a different sort of light. At first he figured it was because his hormones were all out of whack. He was a healthy nineteen-year-old boy after all. However after hanging out with Lisanna and not feeling the same way he did when he was around Lucy, he figured it was something else entirely. Lisanna was cute, but really she was like a younger sister to him. He had missed her dearly and they had finally been able to spend time catching up, but honestly it only cemented his resolve on their relationship.

Lucy on the other hand was another story.

She was his best friend, his nakama, but nothing more. That's not to say that he didn't want that to possibly change, but Lucy hadn't shown him that she wanted that also. He respected that though, and had decided to keep his thoughts and feelings to himself until she showed him some sort of sign otherwise. All of that was going out of the window however after his little peeping episode the night before. It was going to be harder than ever to keep not only his thoughts and feelings to himself now but also his _hands_. What the hell had possessed her to take a class like that in the first place?

"Are you okay Natsu?"

He whipped his head up to see a worried Mirajane looking down at him. Slowly he sat up, running a hand though his pink locks in slight embarrassment. "Uh, yeah, I'm fine. I didn't really get much sleep last night." Mira nodded in understanding. "Are you hungry? I could fix you something really fast if you wanted me to." She frowned when he shook his head no, the action also earning a surprised snort from Gray as well. Natsu looked around the guild and frowned when he noticed the one person whom caused his sleep deprivation was not present. "Say Mira, have you seen Lucy?"

Mira's eyes widened for a minute and Natsu could have sworn that an uneasy look crossed her features before she smiled. What was that all about? "Lucy went on a mission." Natsu's eyebrows met in confusion. She went on a mission? "With who?" The same look he saw a second ago flashed across her face again briefly before she answered him. "She went by herself." Natsu felt his whole body freeze.

What. The. Hell?

First she was taking provocative dance lessons and now she was going on missions alone? What the hell was Lucy up to? Mira must have sensed his confusion because she suddenly started talking again. "She said she needed some money so she took something small. She should be back by sometime tomorrow." She gave him a reassuring smile when he didn't say anything right away. "Don't worry Natsu, she'll be fine." She turned to ask the ice mage something before walking away but Natsu wasn't really listening at that point.

A mission by herself? If she needed some money she could have asked him to come along and help. Had he done something for her not to ask him? He crossed his arms in front of his chest as he racked his memory for something that might have happened. When he couldn't come up with anything, he took a deep breath, which he intended to let out in frustration, but stopped when his nose tickled with the scent of none other than Lucy Heartfilia herself.

Looks like he was going to have a repeat of the night before.

"You're going to follow her, aren't you?"

His eyes locked with the now shirtless Gray across from him. "What's it to you fuck-face?" Not his best insult, but hey, from the look on Gray's face it did the trick. "If you're going, then I'm going too." Natsu was up and slamming his hands down on the table as the sentence finished ringing in his ears. "Who the hell said you were welcomed?!"

Gray imitated his stance, shoving his face as close to Natsu's as the table between them would allow. "Someone has to watch you! Besides, if you mess this up for her and Erza catches you she will kill you and then hunt me down because I didn't stop you in the first place!"

At the mention of their other teammate, both males paled considerably.

"Okay, okay. You can come, just hurry your ass up or else I'm going to lose her trail!"

The two turned and rushed out the guild doors, ignoring Mira's yell to come back. Natsu wasn't going to interfere with her mission per se, just make sure she was safe.

After all, he needed to find out what her 'exercise' class was all about.

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KTKG Says: Ahhhh, let the fun begin! Okay, so I managed to crank out another chapter before the holiday ended. I'm aiming to update at least once a week from now on, which seems likely since I already have the next chapter halfway done as I'm posting this. Anyways, I appreciate the reviews, so PLEASE keep them coming! It lets me know that you guys support this story and want me to continue. Thanks everyone! See you next time!


	4. Chapter 4

**KTKG Says**: I'm Baaaaaack! Did you miss me? No? Eh, whatever. Here's a new chapter for you to enjoy! Remember I don't own anything!

**Chapter Four**

Lucy swore she was losing her mind.

For some reason, and honestly she didn't know why, she was really paranoid that someone was following her. She looked over her shoulder at the various people sitting at the various tables. There was no one that she knew, and not anyone she had really seen before. Not like she was really paying attention in the first place though.

She turned back to her drink and took a long sip, thinking over what was in store for her.

The town she was in wasn't that far away from Magnolia so she had opted to walk there. Well, that and the fact that she was broke and couldn't afford transportation at the moment. She was far enough away though that she wouldn't run into anyone she knew, and it was small enough that she wouldn't be coming back for a visit.

Good, she was completely by herself.

She slouched in her chair, crossing her legs at the ankle, sighing contently. She could complete this mission without anyone to ever finding out. She smiled to herself, the fact pleasing her to no end.

Looking around once more her eyes landed on two men sitting at one of the farther tables in the hotel's restaurant. She couldn't tell if they were looking at her or past her as they both had sunglasses on, but from what she could see they looked pretty handsome. The dark-haired one of the two jerked suddenly and Lucy realized that she must had been caught staring.

Quickly she turned around and paid for her drink deciding that it was time to leave. She figured she could lounge at the pool a bit then take a nap before she had to meet with the client.

Hopefully by then she'll actually have the nerve to go through with things.

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Natsu waited until Lucy was completely out of sight before he released the breath he had been holding.

Gray echoed him not even a second later.

When Lucy had turned and spotted him he tried to play it cool. When she didn't look away for a couple of seconds he was sure that they had been caught, especially when he had to kick Gray under the table to keep him from stripping. He looked at his teammate whom had taken his glasses off and was currently glaring at him. "What the hell was that kick for dumbass?" Natsu returned the glare full force. "You were starting to take your clothes off."

Gray huffed and leaned back in his seat, a frown stretching across his lips. "Ah man. I can't believe I'm about to say this but, good catch." Natsu hummed in agreement and then the two fell into silence, their eyes roaming over their surroundings.

They had managed to find makeshift disguises as soon as they reached the town. Two coats, hats, and a bandana later found the two were unrecognizable, even more so with the sunglasses. He looked over at the ice mage and sighed. Well, hopefully they'd be unrecognizable so long as Gray managed to keep his clothes on.

It hadn't been hard to find where Lucy was staying at considering the fact that there was only one hotel in the whole town. They had pooled their money together and ended up in a room down across the hall from Lucy. How did he know? Simple.

He could smell her.

"So, are you going to tell me exactly why we're stalking Lucy?"

Natsu gave him an 'you-already-know-why' look before going to back to scanning their surroundings only to have his eyes settle back on Gray to find he was still giving him a look. "What?" His only reply from the ice mage was the same expectant look from earlier.

Huffing, Natsu reclined in his seat, chugging down the complementary glass of water in front of him. How was he going to explain his reasoning for being there when he really didn't know himself? An image of Lucy grinding against a pole crossed his mind briefly, causing him to bury the lower half of his face in his scarf. He had hoped the action would keep his teammate from noticing but unfortunately for him it did the complete opposite.

"Are you blushing?"

His answer of "no" came out muffled, causing his dark-haired companion to cackle in delight. "Just so you know, I'm not buying the 'we're-here-as-backup' answer anymore, so you better come up with something good. I really doubt Lucy would take a job that she knew she couldn't handle herself." When no response came back from the pinkette across from him, Gray let out a frustrated sigh. Fine, if he didn't want to admit to anything just yet that was okay. He'd get it out of him sooner or later.

Abruptly the raven-haired man stood and straightened his coat. "I'm going to go get something to eat. When I get back you better have my answer."

Natsu only glared after him as he slid further into his scarf to hide his blush.

As far as he was concerned, he was sticking to his original answer and that was final.

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"Whoa sugar, you better slow down on those."

Lucy slowly placed her glass down in front of her, an embarrassed look on her face as she glanced at the woman across from her. "Oh, um, sorry. I guess I'm a little nervous." The older woman just smiled in response, patting Lucy's shoulder in a reassuring manner. "It's quite alright dear, everyone's nervous their first time. Why don't you finish that up and head to the dressing room? Just ask for Kimberly if you need some help."

Lucy nodded and watched as the woman turned and left her, barking orders to some of the men that were lingering about. Sighing she gulped down the remaining amount of the fruity concoction in her glass and stood up from the bar, intent on making her way to where she had been directed earlier. She wobbled a bit on her feet and had to pause mid-step to steady herself.

Those drinks really packed a punch. No wonder the owner had told her to stop.

Taking a deep breath she continued on towards the back, her eyes roaming over the tables and their occupants until they settled on the stage. It was void of entertainment for now, but just the sight of it still made her blush. Especially when she ran through her routine in her head.

Shaking the thoughts away slightly she continued on, pushing a thick dark curtain aside only to squint when she was greeted with bright lights. After a couple of seconds her eyes were able to adjust and she found she was greeted with smiling faces.

"Hey! You must be that Fairy Tail girl!"

"Oooooh she's so CUTE!"

"Is everyone from Fairy Tail built like you? No wonder you were specifically requested!"

Lucy couldn't help the smile that spread across her face as she was bombarded with questions as well as surrounded by a group of women whom were poking and prodding her. While it was true that they were invading her personal bubble, Lucy got the feeling that they were genuinely nice people, same as the club's owner.

When she had initially arrived at the club she had to admit that she was a bit put off by the atmosphere. Having never actually been in a strip club before she wasn't really sure what to expect, but she knew the owner wasn't on her list. The small but jolly woman that met her at the front was someone she would have expected to meet at some old inn somewhere. It was a relief in a way though, as she had been expecting some sleazy looking balding man instead. Despite the nature of the business, she felt calmed as she spoke with the owner about why exactly she had been requested and what was expected of her.

Apparently the groom-to-be had a thing for Fairy Tail girls.

"Alright girls, that's enough!"

All heads turned in the direction of clicking heels, the mob surrounding her parting as the sound continued to get closer. Suddenly there was a brunette standing in front of her with her hand extended. "Hey there, I'm Kim."

Lucy shyly took her hand and shook it, avoiding the woman's evaluating eyes as they roamed over her body. She tried to suppress a shudder as well as s frown. If she wasn't comfortable with another female looking at her like that, how was she going to handle drunken men doing the same?

"Well, it looks like I don't have much work to do with you. A little make-up and a cute hairdo should do the trick. You have a costume already?" When Lucy nodded a smile spread across Kim's face. "Great! Come on let's get you ready!"

Before she knew it, Lucy was being tossed around this way and that. One girl was stripping her of her clothes, pushing her into a changing room while shoving her costume in her hands. When she was done, she was pulled into a chair situated in front of a mirror. Before she could blink, Kim was in front of her demanding that she close her eyes while another woman had started in on her hair.

Fifteen minutes later Lucy found herself standing in front of a mirror in disbelief. There was no way that the woman staring back at her was actually, well, _her_. The woman looking back at her looked like something right out of a centerfold. Her eyes were done up in a smokey-number, surprisingly really bringing out the brown of her eyes. Her hair was pinned back in a low bun, the accompanying hat of her costume pinned firmly into place. As her eyes roamed down her frame she couldn't believe that it was actually her that she was looking at. Had she always been this curvy?

"You look good."

Lucy had been startled out of her shock by Kim who had appeared behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Just relax, you'll do fine." Kim gave her a reassuring smile in the mirror before leaning in towards her ear. "You know, you don't have to get completely naked, but showing a little more skin than you are now won't hurt." She leaned back as Lucy's face gained a healthy shade of red and pat her back twice, her smile widening as she turned around.

"Come on, let's get you all set up. You go on in an hour."

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"Oi, ash for brains. You sure your nose isn't on the fritz?"

Natsu ignored the comment in favor of glaring at the building in front of him. Maybe looks could be deceiving? The smell of alcohol stung his nostrils and he briefly entertained the thought that maybe his nose _was_ messed up. He caught a whiff of vanilla and flowers and shook his head. Nope, she was definitely in there.

They had decided to hang out in the lobby until Lucy finally decided to leave. When she emerged a couple of hours later with a duffle bag, the intrigued boys had decided to give her a head start before tailing her. Gray was still irked that he hadn't received an answer about why they were following her.

"C'mon Ice Queen. She's in there."

Scoffing at the insult, Gray nonetheless followed him inside without so much as a retaliatory comment.

Once inside the two had to stop and gain their bearings. The inside was almost pitch-black save for the small candles lit on the various tables spread throughout the room. The bar, which was back in a corner, was lit as well with what Natsu could only describe as Christmas lights around and behind the countertop. His partner's voice broke through his concentration.

"Um… a strip club?"

Natsu's eyes widened as he looked in the direction his partner's head was turned. Sure enough, his eyes settled on a darkened stage where his enhanced eyesight was able to pick out a single silver pole anchored in the middle of it.

A pole mighty similar to the one that had been plaguing his thoughts lately.

Natsu glanced at Gray, glad for once that he was the only one with the ability to see in the dark. "You must feel right at home eh Ice Princess?" Gray had his hand cocked in a fist, ready to hit Natsu dead in the face when they were interrupted by a bouncer of Elfman proprtions.

"Why don't you boys take a seat and get ready for the show?"

The two gave the giant of a man a once over before deciding to settle down at a table. They were supposed to be undetected, and since they had foregone their disguises (Gray just couldn't keep his on), they had to cause as little trouble as possible. If Lucy found them out they were dead for sure.

They sat in silence before Gray decided to address the elephant in the room.

"So, Lucy was the one who took the stripper job?"

Natsu felt a growl rip it's way up his throat. "No. She wouldn't. Maybe she's just here as a waitress or something." Gray thought about it for a second before he replied, "yeah, maybe you're right." Natsu was determined to be optimistic about the situation, although now that he really took a look at what the waitresses were wearing he was starting to hope even that wasn't true.

Both men turned towards the stage where a group of men had gathered around it. He could smell the alcohol from where they sat all the way in the back, his nose turning up in disgust. They were ridiculously loud and from their sloppy movements he could tell they were also ridiculously drunk.

Hopelessly, his eyes scanned the club for a head of blonde hair. He caught sight of one but his hopes were dashed when he realized the woman was much too tall to be his best friend. He gave an experimental sniff of the air again, desperately hoping that his nose had been wrong when the lights on the stage went completely out, causing the group of men to cheer loudly.

Natsu instantly stiffened as he was hit with the one scent he was hoping not to smell.

Stiffly he turned back towards the stage, eyes wide in shock, catching his partner's attention. "Hm? Natsu? What's up?" Gray's question was instantly answered as the lights came back on to reveal what he could only describe as the nurse of his dreams. "Hot damn, would you look at that?" Low rumbling noises made him look to his left only to find Natsu pissed and glaring at the stage. Confused, Gray turned back to the stage just in time to see the woman lift her head up and smile nervously. His eyes nearly popped out of his head as his brain finally registered the face.

"Holy shit. It's Lucy."

His eyes shifted over to find his friend baring his fangs, eyes set in dangerous slits as the fist on the table tightened to the point of turning his knuckles white.

There was no way that this was going to turn out good.

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**KTKG Says**: Aaaaaaaand that's where I have to leave you! I was going to make it longer but I decided to break the chapters up. Thanks for reading and please review! The more you review the faster I get them up!


	5. Chapter 5

KTKG Says: Okay, so here it is! New chapter! I hope you enjoy this. I don't own the song "Body Party," by Ciara by the way, same with Fairy Tail. Anyways, ENJOY!

**Chapter Five**

Lucy smiled nervously as she surveyed the men surrounding the stage she was currently standing on. They were cheering loudly, the drinks in their hands sloshing around as they gestured wildly towards her. She froze for a moment, the reality of it all hitting her while she turned to look off stage as her name was called.

Kimberly was off to the side giving her a thumbs up while the other girls that had helped her get ready crowded behind her. Remembering the pep talk the girls had given her before she nodded in response, signaling for Kim to start the music.

The lights lowered a bit as the first couple of seconds of the music started. Taking a deep breath, she felt a rush of heat burst through her, the mixture of adrenaline and alcohol being the final push for her to start. Well, that and the sight of all the jewels clutched in the men's hands.

Slowly she started to rock her hips back and forth in time with the beat, her eyes closing as her hands started to trail up her sides. As sensually as she could despite her nervousness, she started in a small circle around the pole one way before reversing again just as slow, her left hand gripping the metal tightly.

_My body, is your party, baby._

_Nobody's, invited, but you baby._

Stopping, she opened her eyes and fixed them towards the back of the club, focusing on the flash of pink she had spotted when she had started her first circle around the pole.

Dropping fast into a squat, she paused as the flash of pink turned out to be what looked like a stunned Natsu sitting at one of the tables. Shaking her head slightly she realized that she must have been hallucinating, as Natsu had no idea she was here. Remembering what her instructor had suggested the other day, she refocused on the imaginary Natsu, blocking out the cheering men as she continued on with her routine.

_I can do it slow now tell me what you want._

_Baby put your phone down you should turn it off._

'_Cause tonight it's going down, yeah baby it's going down._

_We in the zone now, don't stop._

Bouncing up and down a couple of times before she slowly made her way back, her hip rocking back and forth as her other hand also gripped the pole. Leaning back she began to roll her body before kicking her leg out and lifting her body up to gain momentum as she began spinning on the pole. The crowd erupted in cheers instantly.

_You can't keep your hands off me._

_Touch me right there, rock my body_

_I can't keep my hands off you_

'_Cause your body, is my party._

She stopped spinning, eyes searching once again for her imaginary Natsu. Her eyes widened slightly when it looked like he was getting up out of his seat, but he stopped suddenly. He looked as if he were in a trance and she couldn't help the smirk on her face as she thought of herself as being the reason why.

_I'm doing this little dance for you_

_You got me so excited_

_Now it's just me on you_

_Your body's my party, let's get it started_

_Oh…_

Gaining even more confidence from this, she pushed through with the rest of her routine, grinding her hips for a minute before letting go of the pole to move down the runway portion of the stage. Her hips switched sensually back and forth as her hands moved to travel slowly between her breasts then up her neck, coming to rest behind her head.

_Boy you should know that your love_

_Is always on my mind_

_I'm not going to fight it_

_I want it all the time_

Her hands came back down to the collar of her costume as she stopped at the end of the stage. She could vaguely feel some of the men stuffing a few jewels where her stockings ended high up on her thigh. She was too focused however on what her imagination had conjured up to think anything of it though. Slowly her fingers found the snaps of her costume and started undoing them slowly in time with the music.

_Boy you should know that your love_

_Is always on my mind_

_And I can't deny it_

_I want you, I'm on you_

She had got down to the second to last snap by her hip, and had been reaching for the last one when she felt something being stuffed in her chest. Snapping out of her daze, she looked down to see the hand of none other than the groom-to-be planted firmly there along with a wad of jewels.

She looked to her right to see security on their way over to her, seeing as the rule was you could not physically touch the entertainment, however his steps were halted as a commotion in the back caught their attention. Startled, Lucy turned towards the sound to find her imaginary Natsu stomping his way over to her, knocking tables and whatever else was in his way over.

When he approached the stage finally, the security guard was on him for only a second before a well-placed punch solved that problem. A second throw of his fist connected with the groom's jaw, causing him to fall backwards and rip his hand from Lucy's chest.

She swore her heart stopped in her chest the moment Natsu stood to his full height once on the stage, seemingly towering over her. She had never been more aware of the fact of how much more he was taller than her than in that moment. When his hand shot out and wrapped around her upper arm, she felt as if her eyes were going to pop right out of their sockets.

Holy shit, Natsu was real and he was really here.

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Natsu was absolutely seething.

When the girl standing in front of him had started her routine, he and his idiot partner had been dumbfounded. When her eyes connected with his, Gray (who had thought she was looking at both of them) had almost shit his pants in fear. When she didn't stop, Natsu was struck speechless and frozen on the spot, especially when she seemed to really be getting into it.

He came back to his senses however when he noticed one of the men's hands reaching out towards her. Instantly he was on his feet, teeth bared and a growl of epic proportions rumbling out of his throat.

Gray had been on him in a second at that point. The ice mage had wrapped his arms around his torso and used his body weight to hold him back. It hadn't worked for long as the pervert had loosened his hold on him to tend to the massive nosebleed he had suddenly gained. And what exactly had caused it?

Well, when Lucy had unsnapped her costume and bent over to reveal that glorious chest of hers.

When the idiot of a male in the front row decided to shove his hand in forbidden territory, Natsu had finally lost it and stormed towards the scene to rectify the issue. He smirked secretly to himself at the satisfaction he had felt when his fist had connected with that bastard's jaw.

"N-Natsu?"

His eyes focused back on the confused and shocked blonde in front of him. Thankfully, she was too far gone in disbelief right now to do anything, so he used this to his advantage.

Without so much as a word, he bent down and wrapped his arms around Lucy's upper thighs, straightening up and swiftly throwing her over his shoulder. There was a surprised squeak from her before she started pounding on his back and screaming his name above the music.

He easily ignored her attempts to get down as he turned and made his way back down and off the stage. The men surrounding them wisely moved out of the way, however Natsu still glared and growled at them as he moved past.

He made short order of leaving the club, not even bothering to yell for his partner as he walked out into the night. He was too focused on the task at hand to really care about the idiot stripper right now anyways. After making it a ways from the club, Natsu finally set the celestial mage down in front of him.

"What the hell-"

Anything else she was about to say was silenced as he ripped her costume off of her. He was momentarily stunned as he took in the sight of her standing before him in a racy pink-laced number that barely covered anything. She shrieked so loud he couldn't help but wince as she attempted to cover herself.

"KYAA! NATSU!"

Right. Back to what he was doing.

Silently he ripped off his vest and practically forced her to put it on, thankful that he had opted to wear a longer one that day. Closing the front pieces together, he used his left hand to hold them in place as his right ripped his scarf from his neck. He then used his most prized possession to secure it in place, effectively covering the blonde in the only thing he found acceptable at that moment; his own clothing.

"Natsu~!"

He raised his eyes at the growl only to come face to face with an enraged Lucy. "You had better explain what the hell you're doing here." Anything he was about to say however was effectively cut short by none other than his abandoned teammate's angry voice.

"Natsu you flaming piece of shit! How could you just leave me like that!"

Gray had been running towards him, stuffed tissue flapping wildly out of one of his nostrils, as he pounding feet carried him forward. He came to a screeching halt however as he realized the dragon slayer wasn't alone. "Oh shit! Lucy! Um… Hi!" The blonde didn't say anything as her eyes widened even farther if that was possible, and locked on to Natsu's, disbelief all over her face.

"YOU BROUGHT GRAY WITH YOU?!"

Both men winced. This wasn't looking too good.

Gray looked over to the pinkette next to him in panic, but it seemed he wasn't going to get any help out of him. In fact, as Gray took another look at the expression on Natsu's face, he figured things were going to get a lot worse.

"That doesn't really matter does it? What the hell did you think you were doing anyways?"

Gray slowly backed away, his hands moving to position themselves in a sign of surrender. He wanted absolutely no part of the possible ass-whopping Natsu might be receiving at any second. He needed to be able to watch it from a safe distance.

Lucy was flabbergasted by the cool response she had gotten from Natsu. Her eyes narrowed into slits as she took a couple of steps towards him. "Natsu Dragneel if you don't answer my question so help me Mavis I'll-! NATSU!"

Natsu wasn't listening. Instead he had picked her up and threw her once again over his shoulder as he turned and looked at their utterly surprised teammate. "We're going back to the hotel to talk." When he received a dumbfounded nod in response, he turned back around and continued on the path back into downtown, leaving a confused Gray frozen in place.

What the hell had just happened?

He'd never seen the idiot that serious like that before, at least outside of battle. And then _Lucy_… He pushed the tissue further into his nostril in case his nose decided to start leaking again. Man, what he saw in that club tonight would probably stick with him for the rest of his life.

Ugh! He needed to bleach his brain or something! Lucy was like a sister to him dammit!

Shaking his head he took a deep breath before starting down the path his teammates had gone down a couple of minutes earlier. He might as well venture into town to leave those two alone to 'talk.' Hopefully talking didn't turn into destruction of any property, but with what had just happened and the mood those two were in, that was a real possibility.

He was about to enter into one of the restaurants when the person working the door stopped him. Gray frowned as the man simply pointed to a sign as an explanation, and then looked down at himself. Damn, he was down to just his pants and shoes. When had that happened?

Sighing, he walked into the tobacco shop a little ways further down the road, running a hand through his raven-colored locks. He had survived Lucy's wrath for now, and that was worthy of a cigarette or two as far as he was concerned.

How did he always get himself into these situations?

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KTKG Says: I have a confession to make. I'm actually kind of nervous about how this chapter turned out as, well, I've never really written something like this. Needless to say I had to do a bit of research to get an idea and… haha… Let me just say it was a different experience trying to explain what I was doing to my fiancé! Anyways let me know what you think! As always, REVIEW!


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

The urge to hit the pink-haired idiot coursed through her veins at breakneck speed, pooling in her right hand, which she was currently having to physically restrain from connecting with his face at the moment. The nerve of this man! How dare he not only follow her on her mission with _Gray_, as if he didn't trust her, he had the nerve to ruin the whole thing by trudging up on stage and having a caveman moment! Three. Months. Rent. GONE! And then, on top of all that, he had the nerve to… to…

"What did you just say?" She wanted to make sure she had heard him right.

"I said, what the _hell_ were you thinking doing… doing… _THAT!_"

Lucy growled at the fact that he was _chastising_ her and gave in to her earlier urge to cause the dragon slayer some kind of bodily harm by grabbing the closest thing to her and launching it with all she was worth. Too bad for her it was a pillow that he caught easily and only enraged her even further.

"I was _thinking_ that I needed some DAMN MONEY!"

"So you decided to become Gray's apprentice to get some?"

" I _WHAT!?_"

"You heard me! You were taking your clothes off… for… for other MEN!"

"Well it's all YOUR FAULT!"

She grabbed blindly for something else and as soon as her hand hit something solid she wrapped her fingers around it and launched it. "Ow! Dammit Lucy! Did you just throw your shoe at me!?" Smirking at the direct hit, she quickly looked around for her other stiletto to inflict more pain on him when she was suddenly tackled down the to ground. "Natsu!" There was a slight struggle between the two before he managed to pin her down. Straddling her, he held her hands out to her sides with a firm grip as he glared down at her.

"You could have just asked me to go on a mission you know!"

Lucy froze at his comment. She could have _asked_ him? Was he serious? Pissed beyond belief she tried to wrap her hands around his bare neck but only managed to knock him back on his rear as he tried to dodge her. "ASK YOU? _ASK YOU_? I did that, you ass, but of course you wouldn't remember because you were busy with _Lisanna_."

Both teens froze as Lucy's comment finished echoing off the walls. She couldn't believe that she had just said that! It had to be the alcohol making her tongue loose like that because there was no way in hell she meant for that to come out. The shocked look on Natsu's face had her wanting to cover hers, but as she went to do so she realized he still had an iron grip on her wrists. "Natsu, let go of me."

He eyed her suspiciously. "You're not going to try to hit me are you?"

When she shook her head, he loosened his hold on her wrists but didn't let go completely. Instead he held them lightly in between their bodies, making Lucy aware of the fact that she was practically sitting in his lap. She sighed in frustration as her heart beat rapidly increased to the point where she was sure he could hear it with that hearing of his. She was supposed to be upset with him, not turning into some blushing schoolgirl because he was being gentle with her.

"Look, Natsu I'm sorry."

His eyebrows rose towards his hairline in confusion so she rushed to continue. "I… that wasn't very fair of me to blame you, or Lisanna, for my problem. I know how important she is to you and… yeah I'm sorry. I just didn't want to interrupt your time with her…" Her voice cracked then and she swore silently to herself. She was not going to cry over this. Well, at least not now when he was sitting right in front of her.

Natsu on the other hand, was confused. She hadn't come to him because he was busy with Lisanna? It was true that he had been hanging out quite a bit recently with Lisanna but that was only because they actually had the time now that all of the recent crazy events had come to an end. All of that didn't matter to him though. When it came to her, to Lucy, he would gladly drop whatever he was doing if she needed him. "You know you're my number one priority, don't you Luce?" He watched as Lucy bowed her head, tearing her hand away from his to wipe at her face, the scent of salt assaulting his nose. She was crying? Guilt flooded through him instantly when he realized she was.

"That's bullshit and you know it. Food is your number one priority."

Okay, maybe she had a point, food was important to him. Lucy, however, wasn't food.

"You know, I've really thought about it and I completely understand if you want to replace me with Lisanna on the team."

"What?" Had he heard her right? Where the hell was all of this coming from? Why in Earthland would he want to replace her? "Luce, you know I can't replace you." She let a teary snort out in response and instantly he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her soundly to his chest.

Lucy, against her better judgment, melted into the warmth that was Natsu. She had lost all steam to continue on with the argument, and was now just depressed at her situation. Slowly she brought her arms up to wrap around Natsu's torso, burying her face in his bare neck, her nose brushing against his scar. She just wanted this night to be over so she could figure everything else out in the morning. Natsu telling her she was the most important thing to him was doing things to her heart that she wasn't ready to deal with just yet. "I'm fine with it, really. I know how much you missed her…"

The breath left her lungs in a rush as his arms tightened around her. The puff of hot air from her on his neck only served to bring out his scent even more so, making her head spin slightly. "Stop being stupid Lucy! You're starting to piss me off!"

Abruptly she was wretched away from him only to be held back at arms length. Deep Onyx bore into her so intensely that she swore she saw fire burning in them. "You're my best friend! My other half really! I could never, EVER, replace you!" For good measure he shook her to emphasize his point.

"Prove it then."

They both stared at each other, wide-eyed in surprise at her challenge, but Lucy refused to back down. With the way things had been going the last couple of weeks, she knew it was selfish but she wanted him to prove he meant everything he was saying to her. Really, she just wanted him to come back around, to spend time with her.

She watched as his eyes narrowed in concentration on her face and he took a deep breath. She was sure that he was going to start in on a lecture about how important she was to him as his _nakama_, as he often did in situations like this. Natsu could be rather long-winded when the topic was friendship after all.

What she hadn't expected him to do however was kiss her.

Her body instantly became stiff as a board. Natsu was kissing her. Natsu Dragneel, the man that was denser than a lead based rock, was _kissing her_. As she tried to process this information, her hands decided to have a mind of their own and buried themselves in Natsu's peculiar colored locks. She would have never thought they would be that soft, same with the lips that were now moving against hers.

Her lungs screamed with the need for air and involuntarily she broke away from him for it. The action did little for her air supply though as Natsu had decided to trail open-mouthed kisses down her neck, making what little air she managed to suck in leave her in a rush. Instinctively she arched her neck, giving him more access to the flesh there, which he greedily ate up. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she was dimly aware of the fact that they should be fighting, not doing… this.

Natsu, meanwhile, had allowed his instincts to take over.

It was as if a dam had broken somewhere inside him. Between the lack of sleep, spying on Lucy, and the feelings that had already been blooming inside him before everything he was surprised that he hadn't snapped some time before this. He hadn't really meant to kiss her, honestly, but her challenge and the memory of what he had witnessed at the club had been his breaking point. Their arguing had him all fired up, as usual, but this time something was different for him. Instead of wanting to shake some sense into her like usual, he had the urge to kiss her senseless, so he did.

So far, seeing as Lucy was fully participating in this hot and heavy session, he was glad he gave into his urge for once.

Grinning to himself, he lowered Lucy slowly to the ground, capturing her mouth once her back hit the floor and practically devoured her. She wanted him to prove how important she was to him and he would be damned if he didn't give her what she was asking for.

He allowed his hands to roam over her body, which was still covered in the makeshift dress he had created in his haste to get her out of there. He marveled briefly that the woman beneath his was made up of soft yielding flesh and enticing curves. Curves that he swore no other man would know how they felt except him. Speaking of which…

With a swift tug to his scarf, the material of his vest fell away, revealing to him Lucy's voluptuous body barely clad in pink lace.

A low growl escaped him as he was bombarded with flashbacks of those men stuffing jewels in her stockings and he yanked the remaining bills out, running his hands instead up the exposed flesh of her thighs. He could almost smell them on her and he was determined to replace that scent with his own. Permanently. His hands trailed over her hips and up her ribcage as slow as he could manage considering he was waging a battle within himself. When his fingers ghosted over the thin material covering her chest, her back arched and she made a sound that had him ready to rip the material away.

The knock on the room door however had both him and Lucy freezing in their place instantly.

"Hey Lucy? Natsu? Everything okay in there?"

The look of sheer terror on her face had Natsu snapping out of his trance. Silence filled the room as the two stared wide-eyed at each other, the only sound being Natsu's deep breaths and Lucy's slight panting as she roke away and looked for something to cover herself with. The knocking continued and Natsu suddenly wanted to murder the ice mage on the other side of the door. Matter of fact, he was going to get up and do just that.

"Lucy? You didn't kill Natsu did you?"

When the doorknob started to rattle, Lucy practically tackled Natsu to keep him from doing anything stupid. "N-NO! No! Don't come in! I'm uh, changing!" Gray stopped trying to open the door for the moment. She sighed in relief but kept a hand firmly planted over Natsu's mouth. A blush blossomed on her face when she remembered just where that mouth had been moments before.

"O-okay. Um… where's Natsu?"

She shot the man beneath her a warning look before answering, "he went out for a walk." The venom in her voice made Natsu raise a questioning eyebrow as they waited for Gray to leave. "Oh okay. Um, you still seem upset so… I'll just see you in the morning?" Once she was sure Gray was gone, Lucy scrambled off of Natsu and plopped herself down on the bed, pulling Natsu's vest tightly around her.

What the hell had just happened? How had they gone from arguing to… to _that_? She reached up and felt her swollen lips, evidence that she hadn't just dreamed everything up. Her body was still on fire from where he touched her, and her heart was still hammering in her chest. She couldn't believe it. That little session had blown her wildest dreams out of the water!

"I'm sorry Luce."

She looked up to find that Natsu wasn't even looking at her, but rather down at his hands. He sighed and stood up from his position on the floor where she had left him, turning towards the exit. "I'll see you in the morning…"

"Wait! Natsu!"

When he didn't turn around she launched herself at his bare back, wrapping her arms around him and stopping him effectively. "Luce…" She squeezed him then, stopping anything else he was going to say. She didn't want to hear anything or talk about what just happened, she just wanted the one thing that could make her feel a little better. The reality of everything was that she was more than likely homeless right now, and yeah, it was because of the person in front of her. But really, right now she only wanted one thing.

"Stay."

He gave her a surprised look over his shoulder, and she pulled away slightly so he could turn around. "Luce…"

"Please Natstu? I feel like I haven't seen you in forever. Yeah, I'm still mad about what happened but I'm sure you had your reasons, right?" He nodded slightly and she continued on. "I'll just… figure everything out in the morning. You never know, my landlady could be very understanding about all of this."

Natsu was thoughtful for a moment, surprised at Lucy's complete one-eighty about her situation. He wasn't about to argue though because he felt the same way. About missing her that is. If she didn't want to talk about what had just transpired, he wasn't about to push that either. He still couldn't believe he had lost control like that. He looked at her attire and sighed, grabbing his scarf and wrapping it around her once again. If he was going to stay, he needed her to put some clothes on so he wouldn't be tempted again to continue what they had accidently started.

"Come on, let's go get you something decent to wear first."

This time, she didn't try to hide the blush when Natsu grabbed her hand and led her out of the room.

Hopefully, her situation would work itself out. Right now, she was just glad that Natsu was with her again for the time being.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

KTKG Says: Okay, so, I'm not sure I'm in love with this chapter. What do you guys think?


	7. Chapter 7

KTKG Says: Hey! New chapter! Yay!

**Chapter Seven**

To say that things were awkward was the understatement of the year.

Actually, make that the understatement of the century.

Gray was getting annoyed because of two reasons: he was incredibly hungry and also he was running out of things to look at.

In front of him were Lucy and Natsu, trudging along in silence and looking at everything but each other. He would be looking at them, too, if it weren't for the fact that every time his eyes landed on Lucy, his face would heat up and Natsu would damn near bite his head off. Honestly, it was like the pink haired bastard had turned into some sort of guard dog.

Sighing, he placed his hands behind his head and lifted his eyes toward the sky. The same sky he kept looking up at like something was going to change.

Damn, this was starting to get a bit ridiculous.

It wasn't as if it were his fault that he couldn't really look at Lucy the same way again! Really, he didn't think anyone could after seeing what he saw. Especially since half of the male population in Magnolia had been dreaming of something like that since she had set foot in that town.

Oh man, and he'd damn near had a front row seat for the show.

His nose started to itch a bit as he felt his cheeks heat up at the memory, causing him to tilt his head back further in hopes of stopping yet another nose bleed. Seriously, he needed to think about something else.

"Juviajuviajuviajuviajuvia…"

"Oi ice dick! Shut it!"

Gray cracked an eye open as his head came back down only to find Natsu glaring in his direction. Looked like ash for brains was still sore about his little crack outside the hotel this morning.

In response, the ice mage brought one of his hands down and flipped a certain appendage in Natsu's direction before returning to his original position before he had been so rudely interrupted.

Seriously, like he was supposed to let catching Natsu coming out of Lucy's room in the morning slide.

Please.

He glanced again to find that Lucy was glaring back and forth between him and Natsu and promptly glanced somewhere else.

Man, he couldn't wait to get back home. If Natsu ever decided to go after Lucy again he was NOT going to follow along EVER.

Ahead of him, Lucy turned back around and sighed, looking down at her attire with a frown.

Currently, she was dressed in one of Natsu's oversized shirts (which honestly shocked her because she rarely sees him in one) and a pair of his harem pants that were just as big and loose on her. She loved the smell of him on her, really, but the clothing was so loose she felt like she was drowning. And seriously, she was getting tired of having to constantly pull her pants up.

She hadn't had the heart to step back into the club to collect her duffle bag with her real clothes in it. Well, that and the fact that Natsu pretty much forbade her from going back there or even in its general direction. She guessed she would just call them or something when she got back home to apologize. That was if she even had a home to go back to.

She glanced sideways at the pinkette whom was walking a couple of feet away from her. He looked lost in thought, something Lucy wasn't entirely used to seeing, but had been getting an eyeful of since he popped up on her.

Her eyes darted away quickly when she noticed they had started roaming over his bare chest beneath his vest. She closed them tightly then, trying to will the blush she knew was building up away.

Waking up with Natsu wrapped around her was something she would never forget. Ever.

It's not like sleeping with Natsu was actually something new. He came to her apartment frequently to jump in her bed in the middle of the night and damn near give her a heart attack in the morning. It happened so frequently since she had came to Fairy Tail that she barely bat an eyelash at the event anymore.

That was until last night happened.

After everything had happened, he had grabbed her hand and led her across the hall to the room he was sharing with Gray to grab her some clothes. She had put on his shirt while he remained shirtless, which hadn't really helped the situation at all. Somehow though, she had managed to control herself as he slipped in the bed beside her, despite the fact that she wanted to desperately continue what they had started earlier.

Exhaustion must have overcome them both because after a couple of muttered apologies to each other, they were both out like a light. The next thing she knew she had woke up with Natsu's warm breath on her neck and his even warmer arm wound securely around her waist, not to mention one of his legs thrown over hers.

She blushed yet again and stole a look at her partner.

Good, he was still thinking.

Mavis, he looked delicious all serious in thought like that…

Jerking herself back to the real world, she put the breaks on that train of thought to bring it back to her current issue: she had no rent.

Hopefully, when they got back, her landlord would be a bit understanding. But then again, when she thought about it, the woman was really on her last leg when it came to her tardiness with the rent. Not to mention she held her apartment for her for SEVEN YEARS.

Huffing, she adjusted her pants again and then the shirt, taking the end of it and tying it in a knot around her waist. She needed to come up with a back up plan in case her worst-case scenario came true.

Her thoughts were interrupted as Gray let out a whoop of excitement and ran past her and Natsu. Stopping in her tracks, she looked up to see that they had finally reached Magnolia and felt her stomach churn slightly.

Now was the moment of truth.

"Yo Luce, you okay?"

She looked at Natsu's worried face and tried to conjure up a smile. "Yeah, I'm good. I'm just going to head home." She looked down and fingered the material of the shirt. "I'll bring you your clothes tomorrow if that's okay with you?"

Natsu eyed her for a while before he shook his head. "Come on, I'll walk you home. You can just change when you get there and I'll get them back then." She gave him a look but he didn't even wait for her response before he started heading in the direction of Strawberry Street.

He couldn't get the events of the past couple of days out of his head. Not to mention the moment he had lost it with his teammate.

He still couldn't believe that he had hauled off and kissed her like that, but when he really thought about it, like he had been for the last couple of hours, he didn't regret it at all. Everything about that situation felt right, especially when he woke up with her that morning.

That, however, wasn't really what had him deep in thought. Sleeping with Lucy wasn't anything new really. What _was_ new to him however were the feelings that were starting to surface towards the blonde. He knew that he felt something towards her, that much was obvious. She was different from everyone else, even Lisanna. Especially Lisanna. But he wasn't sure how strong his feelings were for her until he had seen her up on that stage.

Possessive couldn't even begin to describe what he had felt at that moment.

He had wanted to rip out the throat of every male that had been crowded around that stage. It didn't matter if they had touched her or not, the way he had felt last night had him wanting to hurt anyone that even laid eyes on her, including Gray. Especially Gray after his little comment that morning now that he thought about it.

Really any male that had been in the room that wasn't him.

He sighed and crossed his arms as they continued on down the street in silence. What did all of it mean? Was he just being overly protective or was it more? Was it going to get worse? More importantly what could he do about it if it did? He cringed as he imagined Lucy's reaction to him growling at every male that got too close.

His thoughts were interrupted by the indignant shriek that only Lucy Heartfilia could produce.

"KYAAA! MY STUFF!"

He looked up to find Lucy running towards crudely packed boxes lying in the street. He picked up her pace when he recognized some of her clothing that was hanging out of one of the opened boxes. His stomach churned when the scent that wafted up from the items confirmed that it was indeed his partner's belongs in the street.

Man, he really messed up this time didn't he?

Lucy in the meantime was having a mini-breakdown.

The old bat had really had enough of her shenanigans this time it seemed. Her worst-case scenario was staring her in the face and she hadn't even thought about what to do. She sunk to the ground, resting her head against the stacked boxes and sighed miserably.

She supposed she could see if Erza or Levy could take her in? That didn't look too tempting though considering their rent was higher than what hers had been and they'd want her to pay rent. She couldn't pay rent and save up for a new place in the meantime.

Then there was the issue of how long it would take her to even find somewhere new! Who could she possibly crash with for weeks, or maybe even months! She caught herself hyperventilating when one of the boxes being lifted off the ground caught her attention.

"Natsu? What are you doing?"

The pink haired man didn't respond as he stood up straight, one of her boxes secured in his arms. "Come on, let's find a cart and get your stuff loaded up."

She frowned at him, standing back up as well. "For what? Where am I going to go?" He gave her a confused glance in return before simply replying "my place, of course."

Lucy froze at the statement.

Natsu's house? Was that even safe?

Sure she was composed right now, but after what happened between them some hours earlier, could she really torture herself by being in his presence twenty-four seven? Could she honestly keep her hands to herself?

"Look, this is all my fault anyways. It's the least I could do for you. That is, until you get yourself a new place."

She looked at the pleading face of her partner and sighed. Looks like she didn't really have a choice right now anyways. Besides, she knew he felt terrible for what happened and if this was his way of making it up to her…

"Okay."

He gave her one of his radiant smiles and she felt herself blush like a schoolgirl. In an attempt to hide her face she picked up a rather large box that she was just barely able to peek over. "Thanks Natsu." She had mumbled it, but she knew his keen ears would have picked it up.

"No problem. Let's hurry up though. It looks like it's going to rain."

Nodding, she trudged slowly behind him. When she caught herself admiring the way the muscles in his shoulders clenched as he reposition the box in her arms, she wanted to smack herself. Instead, she shook her head and focused on not dropping the box in her arms.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Lucy had a feeling that this new living arrangement wouldn't bode well for her.

Or Natsu for that matter.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

KTKG Says: And there you have it. Another update. Again I want to thank everyone that continues to read and review. You don't know how much it means to me to hear what you guys think. Keep up the feedback and I'll keep the chapters coming!


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

"Natsu, remember, this was your idea."

"Yeah, only because of all the whining you were doing."

"You could always go home you know."

"Pfft! And let you spend all of my money? That's okay."

Lucy's fingers twitched slightly with the urge to ball themselves up in a fist and connect with a certain dragon slayer's face. She chose to take the high road however and stuck her tongue out at him instead before she entered the store they had been standing outside of for the past ten minutes.

Honestly, she didn't think that it was going to be this much of a challenge, but then again this was Natsu she was dealing with. Natsu the man-child whose attention span left something to be desired. She turned to look over her shoulder only to find him frowning as his eyes roamed the various pieces of merchandise.

"Do we really have to do this?"

She sighed for what seemed like the millionth time that day, and it wasn't even noon yet.

"Yes, Natsu, I'm tired of sleeping on the couch."

He sighed dramatically in return but stopped when he noticed the look she was giving him. "Alright, alright! Fine. You have to promise me you'll cook tonight though." She couldn't help the small smirk that spread across her face. "Deal." She stuck her hand out for him to shake but instead he clasped it with his own and brought their hands down between them. Lucy's face instantly turned a faint shade of pink. Thankfully, he seemed too busy to notice anything at the moment as he was now currently dragging her around the store.

"Alright Luce, where do we start?"

She straightened herself up and looked around to find that Natsu had brought her to her desired section; bedroom furniture.

There seemed to be hundreds of mattresses and bedframes, and truthfully she was a bit overwhelmed. Gosh, where _did_ they start? Sighing, she made her way over to the nearest bed and laid down on it, a quiet moan of content escaping her as she felt herself sinking into the mattress' pillow top.

This was absolute heaven for her.

It had officially been two weeks that she had been staying in the Dragneel household, and really, whoever said you don't know someone until you live with was NOT lying.

She had to admit that she was a bit surprised at the state of Natsu's house when she first moved her belongings in. The living area wasn't that bad seeing as it was still somewhat neat from when she had cleaned it oh so long ago. This didn't apply to the kitchen however, and as much as she wanted to turn the other cheek, she ended up cleaning the thing spotless when Happy and Natsu had left to get some food.

All in all, her stay so far hasn't been an unpleasant one.

Once she was properly settled in, Natsu had insisted on taking whatever missions they could get. Seeing as the number of available missions was still somewhat low, they ended up taking simple requests here and there. Basically, she and Natsu had been running errands for people in and around the city almost non-stop. She now had some money saved up, but it was nowhere near the amount she wanted. And how much would that be you ask?

Why, 1,000,000 jewels of course.

She was not taking any risks this time around. She had learned her lesson and learned it well when it came to a certain man with the last name of Dragneel, and that meant she needed a rainy day fund. Wait; make that a hurricane fund, just to be safe.

With much effort, she pulled herself off the bed and wandered over to another one, this one plusher than the last and lay down once more. She was sure her moan of pleasure was heard throughout the store.

Even though she felt like a maid most of the time (her new roommates didn't seem to get the concept of cleaning up), she enjoyed the feeling of having someone around all the time. They were a lot of fun and kept her busy. Secretly though, she was pleased with how well she's been able to keep her hands to herself. It was hard, tortuous really, but somehow so far she had managed to be good.

The same couldn't be said for her eyes however.

She had learned the hard way that Natsu was actually an early riser. Like clockwork, he would always wake up at the crack of dawn and yawn (so incredibly loud that she was sure she had heard his jaw crack on more than one occasion), then stretch before making his way to the bathroom. The sound of his heavy footsteps would always wake her, and since she was currently sleeping on his couch (she didn't trust herself in a hammock), his morning ritual was unavoidable.

Now, this in itself wasn't actually that bad seeing as she was somewhat of a morning person herself. Oh no, that wasn't the problem. The problem was his attire during the whole ordeal every morning.

It was nothing but boxers.

Just. Boxers.

Every morning she couldn't help but crack an eye open and follow his every move. The way his muscles ripped under his flawless tanned skin made her want to swoon and stab her eyes out all at the same time. It was like a train wreck; she shouldn't be looking but she couldn't tear her eyes away.

It was starting to wear on her control, especially since she was now having dreams about how that night two weeks ago could have played out if it weren't for Gray. Needless to say, when she found what looked like a bedroom as she was going through all of his junk (seriously, who has enough junk to hide a BEDROOM?), she came to a decision.

She was going to make him buy a bed and one of them were going to move into that bedroom. Period.

At this point, she didn't care which one of them it was; she just needed some type of space between them in the morning. If she couldn't wake up properly before looking at him, one of these days she was going to molest him.

Or worse.

It was the only way she was going to keep her sanity for the time being because not only did she have feelings for the man, she was now lusting after him.

"Miss, do you need some help?"

Her eyes shot open to see an older woman staring down at her in confusion. Her face flared red in embarrassment when she realized she must have been caught dozing. Stuttering, she shot up into a sitting position and attempted to smooth her hair down until she realized she had styled it in her signature side-ponytail for the day.

"Oh, um, sorry. I was just admiring how comfortable this bed is."

The woman smiled. "Oh yes, it's very comfortable! I'm sure you and your fiancé there would enjoy it very much."

Lucy's eyes almost popped out of her head at the statement. Fiancé? When the hell did she get one of those? She looked around to find Natsu lying face down five mattresses away from her. If he had heard what the woman said, he sure didn't show it. She chuckled nervously as she turned back to the sales rep to reply but the woman beat her to it. "Take your time and think it over dear. I'll be at the front if you need me."

Once the woman was gone, Lucy jumped off the bed and raced to where her companion was currently taking a nap. Frustrated at his ability to sleep almost anywhere, she shoved him hard into the mattress, an irritated grunt escaping him before he turned over. "Luce, what the hell? I was comfortable!"

She stepped back and placed her hands on her hips. "Well if you love it, buy it. I'm ready to go." His face lit up at her words like a kid finally freed from punishment. "Really? You're ready to go?" When she nodded he literally jumped for joy. "About time! Let's go, I'm starving." He frowned when she shook her head.

"Not just yet. There's another store I have to stop at."

A discontented noise came out of him and she couldn't help but smirk.

"Uh-uh, remember, it was _your_ idea Natsu." He rolled his eyes in response as they searched for someone who worked there.

"Yeah I know. And it was _stupid_."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Five stores, one café, and five hours later found Natsu sitting in the middle of his now clean bedroom floor irritated beyond belief.

"You know, when you're a _team_ you're supposed to work _together_. Not one person does all the work while the other does whatever the hell you call yourself doing."

His roommate smirked in response.

"It's called supervising and you're a big boy, you don't really need my help." She paused for a second before continuing on. "If it's that big of a deal to you I could always call Loke for help." She made like she was reaching for her keys but his quick response of "never mind" had her stopping dead in her tracks. Not to mention giggling.

Grumbling he turned his attention back to the almost completed bed frame in front of him, glad to finally have a distraction. Reaching for the forgotten screwdriver beside him, he stood up and set back to work while Lucy continued to dig through the various bags she had acquired from their shopping trip earlier.

Honestly, he felt like his head was going to explode.

He loved having Lucy living there with him and Happy, really he did. She was fun, as always, and a really good cook to boot. Another bonus was she kept the place clean, something he had to admit he had a hard time doing, and kept Happy occupied. While having her there with them was like a gift, it was also like a curse for him.

The woman was really driving him crazy.

The events from two weeks ago were still haunting him and making things rather complicated. Images of her on that stage or on the floor in that hotel room would catch him off guard at random times during the day, not to mention haunt him in his dreams at night. It was to the point now that he had to make sure he woke up before she did to take care of his little…problem. He really didn't want to be on the receiving end of a Lucy Kick first thing in the morning when he was already suffering from blue balls.

Involuntarily, his eyes wandered over in the blonde's direction.

She hadn't said anymore about what happened so he tried to do his best and act like everything was normal. Whatever their normal had been that is.

It was a very, _very_, trying process though. He had thought that maybe his control had just accidently slipped back then, that he could control his urges around her, so he invited her to stay with him. Really, like he was going to let her stay with anyone else? The problem though, was now that he had a taste, he wanted more. He didn't want to ruin their friendship, as he cherished it dearly, but he wanted more and not just in the physical sense either. He couldn't help but have a small spark of hope however every time his brain reminded him that she hadn't pushed him away before.

Over the past two weeks, that spark and grown into a small flame with all the little things she did. Despite what some people thought about Natsu, he knew the concept of love, and starting to think that's what he was feeling towards his teammate. Still, he had to try to control himself until he was sure that she really wanted him like he wanted her.

What she was wearing now really wasn't helping matters either. She had complained about the heat while they were out and the minute they returned to the house she had changed into her current attire.

A sports bra and the shortest shorts he had ever seen in his life.

Thank Mavis for the heat.

He watched out of the corner of his eye as she readjusted her top when she thought he wasn't looking and caught a peek of the bottom of her breast. The sight caught him so off guard that he dropped the screwdriver on his foot. A rather heavy screwdriver at that.

"Shit!"

She jumped and turned around just as he grabbed his foot and started hopping around. "Natsu! Are you okay?" She rushed over to him and he caught a strong whiff of her scent as she put her hands on his shoulders to steady him. Vanilla and jasmine invaded his nostrils and he barely stopped himself from burying his nose in her neck to get a better smell.

"Natsu?"

Blinking he found her giving him a worried look as he let go of his foot. The damn thing throbbed a bit as he put it back down on the floor and took a step back. "Uh…yeah. I'm fine." Her eyebrow arched and she bent over, trying to get a look at his foot. She only succeeded in letting Natsu get a good look at her cleavage.

Natsu's nose twitched as he took a couple of sniffs in a desperate attempt to stop the nose bleed that was for sure about to happen. Thankfully she straightened up and turned away. He had to look in the other direction lest his attempts be in vain at the sight of her backside.

"Let's take a break."

He sighed in relief as they both surveyed the room. What a great idea.

"Oh I know! Let's head to the guild. I could really go for one of Mira's shakes."

Scratch that, the woman was brilliant. The guild was just the distraction he needed. She headed out of the room and he followed, looking around his house in an attempt to keep his eyes off of her. Why her sex appeal never seemed to work on missions, he would never know because it was distracting the hell out of him right now.

"I'm going to change and then we can go. Unless you want to head there without me?"

He shook his head as they made it to the living room and plopped down on the couch. Seeing as the heat never bothered him, he was still dressed from earlier. "No, I'll wait for you." She nodded and grabbed some clothes before disappearing into the bathroom.

He sat silently wishing she would hurry up. The piece of furniture was saturated in her scent and it was not helping him at the moment. Usually it calmed him, but after the past two weeks, it's done nothing of the sort. Thankfully, the door bust open to reveal an excited Happy who promptly flew up to him.

"Natsu! Lucy!"

He made room on the couch for the blue feline who happily plopped down, a huge smile on his face. "What's up Happy? Lucy's in the bathroom getting dressed. We were just about to head to the guild." If possible, Happy's face brightened up even more. "Good! Hurry up! Mira said she has something for us!"

His interest sparked, he turned his head in the direction Lucy had gone and shouted for her to hurry up. A few seconds later, Lucy emerged in a pair of jean shorts that weren't much longer than what she had previously had on and a plain white t-shirt that hugged every curve.

Shaking his head he jumped up and started making his way out of the house, Lucy hurrying behind him. "Slow down Natsu! What's the rush?"

"Happy said Mira has something for us, so let's not keep her waiting!"

Her eyes widened and she ran in front of him down the street. "Maybe it's a high paying mission! C'mon Natsu let's go!" Against his will, his eyes travelled down to her rear end as she raced down the street and he felt his face heat up. Lucy really did have a nice behind.

The snicker from his right was finally broke his staring contest with Lucy's ass.

"See something you like Natsu?"

He growled and made a grab for the Exceed but failed when Happy flew out of his reach, racing ahead to where Lucy was, sticking his tongue out at him as he looked back.

Sighing, Natsu picked up his pace and followed them hoping whatever it was indeed a good paying mission.

He didn't know how much longer he would be able to hold his urges in check. The longer Lucy stayed with him the worse they were going to be.

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KTKG Says: Okay, that's it for now! Did you like it? Wondering what Mira has in store for them? Make sure you check back then for the next chapter! On a side note, is it just me or is Lucy getting more and more curvy in the manga? Like, seriously, I don't remember her being that thick in the beginning. It's not a bad thing, in fact I like it! I'm sure Natsu does too. Hahahahaha! Anyways enough of my rambling, REVIEW AND I SHALL BE BACK SOON!


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Lucy struggled to get comfortable in her seat while trying to control the amount of displeasure that showed on her face. She squirmed, pressing herself against the wall to her left, but finally gave up as she glared at the person sitting next to her.

"Gray, can you scoot over some? I'm running out of space here!"

The raven-haired man beside her lifted an eyebrow in confusion. "What's the problem? You've got plenty of space to be comfortable!"

Lucy looked down beside them to see that his version of 'space' consisted of the millimeter between their barely touching thighs. At the comment, Lucy's eyes narrowed further. "Are you trying to get me killed Fullbuster?" Her eyes shifted away from him towards the malicious glare thrown her way by a certain blue-haired hat-wearing female.

"Seriously Gray, if you touch me I think I just might die. As in I'll be killed."

Gray's head swiveled around then back, a nervous chuckle escaping him as he moved over as far as the bench they sat on would let him. "Er, yeah, um. She's really harmless you know?"

Lucy just sighed; relieved that she could no longer feel Juvia's death glare burning holes in her skin and looked out of the window on her left.

This was not what she had expected.

When she and Natsu had rushed to the guild the other day, she had fully believed that Mira would greet them at the bar with a one-of-a-kind mission that would pay handsomely beyond her wildest dreams. Or at least enough to get her out of the Dragneel household.

Unfortunately, what Mira had for her (plus Natsu and Happy), were tickets for an overnight stay at a new resort that had opened up at Akane Beach.

At first, she wanted to say no, but her overzealous best friend/love interest/pure-torture-on-legs opened his mouth and answered for her before she could even utter a word.

Thus the reason she was crammed in a seat with Gray as her companion while Juvia silently plotted her demise. Her eyes travelled from the rapidly passing scenery to the seat across from them, only to come in contact with the overflow of Erza's luggage.

Maybe she'd be comfortable lying on top of everything?

"Something wrong Lucy?"

She didn't even bother to look at her seatmate as she thought the question over.

Initially, after some thought, she was excited about the outing. With a majority of the guild going, it would give her a chance to be distracted from the man that had been occupying her thoughts as of late (not to mention her line of sight). When she woke up this morning in Natsu's newly purchased (and completed) bed to find it's owner wrapped once again protectively around her, she had barely been able to keep the last of her willpower in check.

Needless to say, she had been desperate for this trip at that point.

All of that went out the window however when she realized who else was going to be accompanying them on this mini vacation.

Lisanna Strauss.

Honestly, she shouldn't even have problem with the woman, and in truth she didn't. Not really. She liked Lisanna, a lot, and who wouldn't? She was nice and lovely and all that other stuff that made you like people. The thing was, she had a feeling that the sight before her would be haunting her for the next twenty-four hours, and it really was only going to get worse. The sight of course being Lisanna draped all over Natsu. Even if he looked like he was going to barf at any second.

Gosh, what was wrong with her? She liked Lisanna right? And it wasn't like Natsu was _hers_ or anything like that. Besides, hadn't she just been telling herself that some distance between the two of them, even just for twenty-four hours, was a good thing? If so, then why was she wishing that is was her instead of Lisanna trying to ease Natsu's urge to regurgitate the pancakes and bacon she had made for him that morning?

Her name being called reminded her that Gray had asked her something and was still waiting for an answer.

"No, uh, nothing's wrong. I'm just a little tired."

"Ah, Natsu no doubt kept you up all night, eh?"

Lucy's face instantly reddened into a perfect imitation of a tomato. "W-What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Her head whipped in his direction to find that he was giving her a confused look. "What's that supposed to mean? You've heard the man snore! It's like a freaking stampede of wild animals!"

She felt some of the redness disappear from her face as she digested his answer.

Oh, so that's what he meant.

The blood rushed back to her face however when Gray's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What did you think I meant?" She felt her face get hotter as a smirk made it's way on her fellow teammate's face but any response she was about to give was interrupted as a gagging sound was heard followed by an indignant shriek.

"Ugh, NATSU! MY SHOES!"

Gray promptly busted a gut laughing while Lucy only sighed in slight relief at being let off the hook. Poor Lisanna. After that happening she was glad now that it hadn't been her with Natsu. Still, she couldn't help the small but satisfied smirk that made its way across her lips at the pitiful groan that managed to reach her ears.

"Luuuuce… I need yoooooouuuuu."

This was going to be one hell of a day, and it wasn't even nine in the morning yet!

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Lucy's eyes roamed up and down her frame once more before she turned away from the mirror and sighed. Shorts, she needed some shorts. Maybe a tank top too…

Digging through her bag, she found what she was looking for and sat back, turning once again to look in the floor-length mirror. She was currently clad in a white with gold trimmed bikini, and for some reason she felt like taking it off and staying in her room. Remembering that she had made plans with Levy, Lucy shook her head and threw the clothes on over her swimsuit.

Taking one last look in the mirror she saw how big and loose the tank-top was on her and realized that she must have grabbed Natsu's on accident.

Fingering the material, her mind wandered back through the day's earlier events. Once Natsu had emptied his guts all over the youngest Srauss' shoes, he traded places with the ice mage and rode the rest of the way to the beach with his head planted firmly in her lap.

Juvia was pleased, Lisanna was slightly relieved, and Lucy well…

Secretly she had been ecstatic as she was the one who was comforting Natsu.

The rest of the train ride had gone on without another incident from the dragon slayer. All too soon though, at least in her opinion, they had reached their destination and Natsu was back to his normal, hyperactive self.

This also meant that Lisanna was once again practically molded to Natsu's side.

Sighing, she grabbed her room key and placed it in her pocket before heading out of the room and down the hall, thankful that she didn't have to share with anyone else.

She couldn't really be upset with Lisanna, as the woman probably missed spending time with Natsu. After all, he had basically been with her twenty-four seven for the past two weeks. She couldn't very well hold Natsu hostage forever, especially since he wasn't hers to begin with. They had talked about him ignoring her for Lisanna and he promised he wouldn't do it anymore, so she had to let him prove himself.

Besides, she couldn't very well have Natsu ignoring Lisanna either. It just wasn't fair to her.

Pausing in the hallway, she pondered her last thought for a second before coming up with a goal of sorts. For the whole day, she was going to not let Natsu and Lisanna hanging out together bother her. Period.

Nodding to herself she continued on down the hall and eventually found herself on the beachside of the resort. She looked around for her blue-haired friend, but before she could find her Lucy's eyes landed on the one sight she really didn't want to see.

Lisanna and Natsu frolicking in the ocean.

Yes, frolicking.

"Lu-chan! Over here!"

Lucy gladly tore her eyes away from the scene in the direction of the voice calling her name. Up at the bar sat Levy, her savior of sorts, waving her over frantically. Plastering the best smile she could muster on her face, she jogged the rest of the way up to her friend and sat down on the empty barstool.

"Hey Levy! I hope you haven't been waiting on me long."

Levy shook her head while she looked her up and down, smiling slyly at Lucy's attire. She was going to say something about the obviously male shirt she had on but her smile faded a bit when she noticed the look on Lucy's face. "Something wrong Lu-chan?"

Lucy's eyes wandered back towards the beach but she stopped herself, instead turning her eyes towards the bartender to catch her attention. "I'm fine Levy-chan, really. I'm just not all the way awake I guess." Levy was quiet for a second before she nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I understand. That was a really long train ride. Took a lot out of me too."

Taking a sip of the drink that had been placed in front of her, Lucy sighed as she finally felt herself relaxing a bit for the first time in almost a month. That bit of relaxation didn't last long though.

"So, how has it been going staying with Natsu?"

It took all of her willpower to not spit her drink out in Levy's face. She glared in the blue-haired girl's direction, to which Levy only responded with a smirk. "Oh come on Lu-chan! You can tell me!"

Lucy was silent as she thought about the benefits of telling the woman next to her everything. Levy was her other best friend, besides Natsu, and she already had a clue as to what her feelings were towards the pink-haired idiot so she guessed it couldn't hurt right? "It's been an eye-opening experience, I'll tell you that much."

Levy chuckled beside her and Lucy could only guess what was going on it her head.

"So, have you jumped him yet?"

This time, Lucy actually did spit out her drink. "Levy!" Her friend only laughed out loud and gave her a knowing smile. After a while Lucy's embarrassment died down and she joined in the laughter. "Ugh, Levy it's been _awful_. I've been really good though." Levy's laughter died down into a small smirk. "I bet you have."

She looked around as Lucy took another sip out of her drink before sighing. "It's been really confusing though you know? I honestly don't know what to do with myself anymore. " She couldn't believe she had confessed that much to her friend but really she needed to vent. Really, she'd been at a loss since she arrived to the resort. Especially when she thought about the sight she had seen earlier. If she really thought about it, she was starting to believe that she was getting…

Jealous.

Her eyes widened at her small epiphany. She _was_ jealous. Of Lisanna and Natsu. Ugh, how could this be? She needed a distraction of some sort and talking to Levy was not helping her. Especially with the topic of discussion she had picked.

"Oh well Lu-chan, why don't you just relax. Maybe you'll have an epiphany or something."

Yeah, too late for that Levy.

Sighing yet again, she reached for her straw for a drink when she spotted someone approached out of the corner of her eye. Her mouth fell open as she turned her head slightly to face the person fully, her ears picking up the sound of Levy's faint gasp beside her.

Standing before her was what could only be described as the shining example of tall, dark, and handsome. His dark hair and blue-green eyes, not to mention his muscular build was something right out of a fair tale. Eventually she was able to close her mouth.

"Um, hi?"

The man smiled and leaned on the bar. "Hey, I saw you sitting over here and thought I'd come introduce myself. I'm Sean." He reached his hand out in her direction and she finally reciprocated after she felt Levy nudge her in the back.

"Um, Lucy. I'm Lucy."

As Sean's hand closed around hers, Lucy briefly wondered if this was the type of distraction that she needed.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"Oi, Salamander."

Natsu looked up from where he was currently trying to hold Gray underwater, surprised to see Gajeel Redfox of all people calling him. "Eh? Whaddya want I'm busy." Gray's head broke above the water before Natsu shoved him back down as if to emphasize his point. Gajeel only crossed his arms in response.

"Bunny girl looks like she needs your help."

Immediately Natsu released the ice mage and jumped up, his head whipping around in search of the blonde while Gray sputtered for air beneath him. Eventually his eyes locked on to the celestial mage sitting at the bar with her solid script mage. They looked to be giggling.

Slowly Natsu turned back to his fellow dragon slayer.

"What the hell are you talking about? She's fine!"

Gajeel only inclined his head in Lucy's direction once more. "Look again Salamander. Someone's moving in on your woman."

Natsu's face instantly reddened at the other man's words. "Lucy's not my woman!" Gray snickered as he stood up beside Gajeel, smirking as he replied, "you could have fooled us."

Huffing, Natsu turned back around and instantly regretted it when his eyes landed on the sight before him. There at the bar was indeed what looked to be come douche making moves on Lucy.

His hands balled into fists and he felt himself baring his fangs in rage, however he caught himself.

It was true; Lucy wasn't his, at least not yet. Because of this fact, he didn't have a right to interfere in anything she did. Besides, he was still trying to figure things out himself. He had told himself that he was going to give her some distance on the trip but that hadn't gone so well on the ride to the beach. Still, he wanted to give her some space, and that's exactly what he was going to do.

He was about to turn away when he caught the man raising a hand and placing it on her shoulder to lean in some more. Something inside him snapped, once again, and he felt himself growling as his body charged forward to the bar.

In no time flat he was up at the bar with a surprised Lucy staring wide-eyed at him as he ripped the man's hand non-too gently off of her shoulder.

"Natsu!"

"Ow! My hand!"

Natsu remained silent as he released the man's hand and slid himself in between him and Lucy, turning to face him with his fangs barred in all their white, sparkling glory. The man's eyes widened and he held his hands up as he backed away a few feet. "Hey man, I didn't mean any harm, she never said anything about having a boyfriend."

The growl that Natsu let loose in response had the man running for dear life down the beach.

"Natsu!" He turned to look at the blonde on his left. She was angry, but he really didn't care at that moment. All that talk about letting her be went out the window the minute that man had the balls to touch her.

"What the hell Natsu! I was just about to get a date!"

He felt his eyes widen. "A date?! Who the hell said you could go on a date?" Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "_I_ said I could! Why do you care anyways?" He narrowed his eyes in response and leaned down close to her face. "If you're going to go on a date with anyone, it's going to be me."

Lucy's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "W-What did you just say?" He leaned back a bit folding his arms across his chest. "You heard me. If you want to go on a date so bad I'll take you, not some random douche like him." He thrust a thumb over his shoulder for emphasis. Lucy was staring slacked jawed at him in response, so he took advantage of the situation and leaned back in to whisper in her ear, "I'll come by your room at six. "

Without giving her time to respond he turned and headed back to where a dumbfounded Gray and smirking Gajeel were waiting for him, fully intent on taking the rest of his frustration out on the two.

Lucy meanwhile, stiffly turned to her companion at the bar in confusion. "W-what just happened?" Levy blinked, obviously shocked by the dragon slayers antics as well. After a while she raised her hand to her mouth and giggled a bit. "I think you just got yourself a date with Natsu."

Sighing, she stirred the straw in her drink as she tried to replay the last couple of minutes in her head, trying to find where things took a left. Still confused as ever, she pushed herself away from the bar and stood up, Levy following suit.

She didn't know how she got herself in this situation but she might as well start getting ready.

Apparently she had a date tonight with one Natsu Dragneel.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

KTKG Says: So, how'd you like it? OOOoooooo a DATE! Bet you weren't expecting that! Any ideas on what they should do? REVIEW!


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

What the hell had he gotten himself into?

That's the only thought that kept running through Natsu's mind as he stood outside of a certain blonde's hotel room door. He shifted back and forth on the balls of his feet as he contemplated what to do. Lifting his hand, he started to knock on the door but paused as he heard more than one person moving around on the other side.

Looking at the clock on the far wall on the hallway, he noticed that he still had time to bail if he really wanted to. After all, Lucy hadn't actually _agreed_ to this 'date' or anything, so he could leave and then pretend like everything was a joke.

Pfft. Yeah right.

He knew that if he backed out now, he would never hear the end of it, not only from Lucy but Gray and Gajeel as well.

Especially Gajeel.

Natsu suppressed a shiver as he recalled the knowing look in the other dragon slayer's eyes. It was as if he had looked into Natsu's brain and saw everything that had happened, not to mention everything he had wanted to happen between him and his teammate. No wonder he was quick to point out the sorry excuse for a male that had moved in on his Lucy.

The sound of the doorknob turning brought him back to reality and suddenly he started to panic. He wasn't ready yet!

Regardless of him being ready or not, the door started to open and Natsu planted himself firmly in his spot. He would just have to go through with this, seeing as his possessiveness got him in this in this predicament. Besides, like he said earlier, if Lucy wanted to go on a date that bad then he was going to be the one to take her on one. The _only_ one to take her for that matter.

The bluenette that appeared in the doorway hadn't been what he'd expected though.

"Oh, Natsu! You're actually on time!"

Natsu opened his mouth to retort to the slight jab at his usual tardiness but promptly shut it when a familiar smell tickled his nose. He whipped his head to first the left then the right as he surveyed the hallway, but didn't see anything. He gave a couple more sniffs, sure that he was smelling was indeed the iron dragon slayer when he realized that the scent was coming from in front of him. Slowly he turned back with wide eyes to see one confused Levy McGarden looking at him in question. Natsu on the other hand was dumbstruck for the moment.

Although he could still smell Levy's normal scent, there was also Gajeel's irony scent coming off her as well, almost as if she were wearing it like perfume.

"Levy, why do you smell like Gajeel?"

The solid script mage's mouth fell open in shock at his question as her face turned a healthy shade of red and Natsu was a bit confused. Had she not known she smelled like him? Levy opened her mouth to say something but was cut off at the sound of his partner's voice from behind her.

"Levy-chan? Is that Natsu?"

Both of the mentioned people turned their heads to find Lucy peeking around the corner. As soon as his eyes connected with hers, a faint blush spread on her cheeks as she came into full view. She smiled nervously as her hands smoothed the material of her clothes. "You ready to go Natsu?"

Natsu could only nod in silence as he took in the sight before him.

Lucy stood there, her hair curled and down around her face with what looked to be a genuine smile as she looked him over. He was vaguely aware of Levy slinking out of the doorframe and down the hall as he took in Lucy's simple cotton strapless dress that was his favorite color, red. It was tight around her chest, accentuating the roundness of it, but flowed out from there, stopping right at her feet. She wore no other accessories, making her look as though she were getting ready to lounge at the beach with a book instead of go out on a date.

In a sense, she looked comfortable, which honestly was a major relief to him. He honestly didn't know what he would have done if she would have actually dressed up for the occasion like he's (unfortunately) seen her do before. Taking one last look at her though he was instantly reminded why he had become so possessive in the first place. Even in a plain cotton dress, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on, and he wanted her all to himself.

Man, he really had it bad didn't he?

"Uh, um. You look really nice Luce."

She smiled as she slipped her feet in a pair of flat sandals and made her way over to him, the difference in their heights making her look up into his face. Had she always been this small and delicate looking?

"Thanks, you don't look too bad yourself."

He looked down at his own attire which was a pair of shorts and a plain white cotton t-shirt, and let out a small laugh which she instantly echoed. "If you say so Luce."

She chuckled again as she headed out of her room, beckoning him to follow which he did obligingly. Once out of the door, Lucy closed and locked it, then looked around as if searching for something before turning to him sheepishly while holding out her key. He looked at her confused before she mumbled something about not having pockets, making him chuckle before taking it and placing it in his own pocket.

"So, what do you want to do? Tonight is all about you Lucy."

She blushed again at his words and he couldn't help the small flutter his heart did. He also couldn't help the loud growl his stomach let out as well.

She laughed out loud as he scratched his head in embarrassment. To his defense, he hadn't really eaten all day, which was a rarity to him. Especially since all of their food was free for the duration of their stay there.

"Well, I think I agree with your stomach. We should go get something to eat, as I'm kind of hungry myself. Sound good?"

"That sounds perfect. I saw a place that I think both of us would love. Come on!"

He smiled as he made a grab for her hand, not noticing that he had unconsciously intertwining their fingers until he had started down the hallway. She didn't object to his and in hers, only smiling as she sped up a bit so their steps were even with each other. He felt his smile widen further as he finally tore his gaze away from her to pay attention to where he was taking her.

Tonight, he was going to show her a good, relaxing time, so the next time she wanted to go out on a date he would be the one she would come running to.

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Lucy was in a state of mild shock.

She still, for the life of her, couldn't believe that she was actually on a _date_ with Natsu of all people. How often had she dreamed about this? It seemed too good to be true, and something in the back of her mind told her that it was. She had the nagging feeling that something was going to go wrong as it often did when the pinkette across from her was involved.

"Luce?"

She snapped out of her thoughts to see Natsu looking at her expectantly. His plate, she noticed absentmindedly, was practically licked clean. "Yeah? What's up?"

He smiled sheepishly and she briefly entertained the thought that he was going to say something sweet. So far that night, Natsu had been a complete gentleman. Well, as much of a gentleman as he could be. Never the less, this was the best she had probably ever seen him behave. Not to mention he had held her hand the entire way over and even held the door for her. It was a complete change from the Natsu she was used to, but it wasn't unpleasant.

"Um, are you going to eat that?"

She sighed as she put the fork she had been playing with down and pushed her plate in his general direction. Natsu would be Natsu she guessed, and really, she wouldn't have it any other way.

"No, I'm pretty stuffed. Go ahead."

He needed no further insistence from her as he greedily pulled the plate towards him and proceeded to demolish what had been left of her shrimp linguini. Resisting the urge to chastise him about being greedy, she instead took the time to really look around the restaurant they were in.

She had to tip her hat to Natsu's choice. It was a nice little restaurant that was located on the beach, some of its tables being on the sand with huge umbrellas for shade during day hours. It wasn't too formal so that their attire wasn't appropriate, but it also wasn't informal to the point that people were walking around in their bathing suits either.

All in all, the place's ambiance screamed relaxation and that's just what she and Natsu were doing. They had fell into easy conversation when they first sat down, talking first about how nice the resort was and then what they had done earlier that day. When the food had arrived they had fell into a comfortable silence as they ate, occasionally poking fun at each other, especially when Natsu had managed to get sauce on his nose.

Honestly, she was having the time of her life with him. With no mission or thoughts about having to find somewhere to live, she was finally able to relax and really enjoy his companionship. Still, she couldn't help the feeling that this was all too good to be true.

"Are you feeling OK?"

His onyx-colored eyes were looking at her in worry and she chuckled as she waved him off. She was just being paranoid for no reason. So far their night was going great and that's what she needed to focus on. "Oh, sorry. I'm fine. I was just thinking that's all."

He didn't look all that convinced so she reached out to touch him but was interrupted by a person's shadow appearing suddenly across their table. Pausing, both she and Natsu turned to look only to have Lucy's earlier predication come true.

There, standing by their table was none other than Lisanna.

"Hey Natsu! Lucy! What are you guys doing here?"

Slowly Lucy retracted her hand from it's mid-reach to Natsu and settled back in her chair while Natsu simply answered, "eating." When Lisanna pulled a chair over from a neighboring table to sit, Lucy had to physically restrain herself from slapping herself in the face.

Really, she should have just listened to her gut when it told her this night was going to be far from perfect.

To be fair, she couldn't blame Natsu on this one. She assumed he hadn't told anyone that they were going out tonight, seeing as he had a shocked expression on his face, but knowing him it was going to be a while before they could resume their activities. He honestly was too nice to tell Lisanna to get lost so she guessed it was safe to say that their date was officially over now.

Suddenly she stood from her seat, making Lisanna pause in whatever question she had been bombarding Natsu with as his attention was instantly on her. "Luce?" She shook her head, noting the worry in his features and plastered the best smile she could on her face. "I'm just going to the bar for a cocktail. You guys want anything?" She received two headshakes in return. "Okay, well I'll be back in a minute."

Ignoring Natsu's questioning gaze, she fisted her hands in her dress and quickly shuffled over to the bar, parking it on a bar stool and calling loudly for the bartender. She ordered three shots of tequila with a large sex on the beach to chase them down with. Cana would probably be proud of at least the shot choice. The other drink, not so much.

She knocked back the three shots quickly, but her mood hadn't been improved by the time her other drink arrived.

What did she honestly think was going to happen? She was going to have the date of her dreams with Natsu and they were going to finish what they had started the last time they were out of town? She should have known better, especially considering the fact that they were on a mini vacation with half of the guild in toe. Really though, she could have taken an interruption from anyone else, but of course it had to be the one person she really didn't want.

Taking a long sip of her drink, she sighed in frustration as she stared into her glass. What the hell had she done to deserve this? It's like every time she gets close to Natsu something keeps getting in the way.

"Oh. It's you!"

Her head looked to the right to see tall, dark, and handsome from earlier. What was his name again? He smiled as he sat down beside her, resting his elbows on the counter. "I'm Sean, remember?" Oh yeah. Sean. "Oh, yeah, hi."

Sighing, she turned back to her drink and took another long pull as Sean ordered something for himself. This obviously wasn't her day.

"So, where's your pink-haired boyfriend from earlier? I didn't think I'd see you all by yourself here."

She felt herself stiffen at the question because, hello, her 'boyfriend' was busy talking to another woman while on their date. Resisting the urge to turn back around to look and see if Lisanna was still there, she shrugged as nonchalantly as she could. "He's around." She felt him scoot in a bit closer to her so she shifted back a bit, taking her drink with her. The last thing she really needed right now was another scene from earlier.

"Do you need some company?"

She eyed him wearily and opened her mouth to answer when a familiar baritone voice and a blast of warmth from her left cut her off.

"Her company is right here."

She watched as Sean's eyes widened to the size of saucers before he picked up his drink and got up and left without another word. The poor man didn't even have a chance with her to begin with, but Natsu really didn't help the situation. Especially after their encounter earlier that day.

Lucy repressed a sigh of frustration but didn't turn around, instead downing the rest of her drink in a single gulp. She sat there with her empty glass when she suddenly felt Natsu's warm hand on her bare shoulder.

The shiver that ran down her spine was damn near a sin in itself. How was it that she could be irritated with him but a simple touch from him could make her do a complete one-eighty?

"Lucy?"

He was beside her now, giving her one of his puppy dog looks. Breathing heavily through her nose, she schooled her face into a nonchalant expression and turned in his direction. She had to jerk herself away when she realized how close their faces were. He must have noticed it too because a healthy blush spread across his cheeks.

"Are you mad? You didn't come back to the table with your drink."

She looked over her shoulder to see that their table was now unoccupied. Had he actually got rid of Lisanna and been waiting for her to come back? "No, I'm not mad. I'm sorry." She didn't want to elaborate any further though for fear of saying something she couldn't take back. Something like she was upset their date had just gone to shit, for example.

He shifted around in his seat, a sign that she knew to mean he was nervous, and then placed an arm on the bar's countertop. "So, uh, do you want to walk down the beach? I heard someone saying there's going to be a firework show in a couple of minutes and you can see them really good from there."

She didn't know if it was the liquor finally kicking in or not but she felt herself flush with warmth at the nervous look on his face. Was he really trying to have a serious date with her? Instantly the smile was back on her face. "Sure Natsu, that sounds like a wonderful idea."

His trademark fanged grin lit up his face and before she knew it, his hand was once again in hers, their fingers intertwining as he pulled her up and down the beach.

Maybe this night wouldn't be a complete waste after all.

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Natsu sighed contently as he shifted, the blonde between is legs doing the same so that they were in a more comfortable position, albeit she did it unconsciously.

Lucy had fallen asleep some time ago, leaving Natsu to watch the remainder of the fireworks show by himself. She had been cold, thus the reason they were in the position they were in, and he had enough body heat to share. He wasn't complaining though. In fact, having her in his arms and leaning against him like that was actually very comfortable.

He knew she had been tired from the trip, plus she couldn't really hold her liquor to begin with. After a drink or two she always became sleepy, and tonight hadn't been any different. As comfortable as he was, he knew he had to get her up and to her room even though he was content to stay like that all night.

"Luce… Hey Lucy wake up."

She mumbled something along the lines of 'no' and burrowed deeper into his chest, making him chuckle lightly. Reluctantly though, he removed his arms from around her and sat her up, shaking her lightly to make sure she was really awake.

When she turned to look at him, she blinked a couple of times before she smiled, still obviously not all the way awake. "Sorry. How long was I asleep?" She made a move to stand up but he was up before her, helping her to her feet. She smiled at him and brushed her rear free of the sand they had been sitting in. Breaking his eyes away from the movement, he looked at their surroundings so he wasn't tempted to stare at her behind.

He was an ass man after all.

"You weren't asleep long. The show just ended."

He was lying of course. They had been sitting there like that for the last two hours at the very least he guessed. He couldn't help it; he loved having her in his arms. It made him feel like she was his, especially when she cuddled up to him in response.

"Aw man, I missed the rest of it!"

He chuckled as they started making their way back down the beach. They hadn't really gone too far from the restaurant, just far enough that the lights from the place didn't affect the way they saw the show. She stumbled a bit suddenly, catching her foot on a hidden rock, and his arm shot out to catch her before she went face first in the sand.

"Watch it weirdo!"

She giggled and he took the opportunity to wrap his arm around her shoulders, pulling her in close to his body. She didn't object. Instead she moved in close and wrapped her own arm around his waist, her hand fisting in the material of her dress as they started walking.

After a couple of minutes, they finally arrived to her hotel room, both of them pausing in the hallway. Reluctantly he reached into his pocket for her key, his fingers wrapping around the warmed metal piece but staying hidden in his shorts.

For some reason, he really didn't want to let her go for the night. He couldn't understand why, seeing as they were technically living together back home and he has seen her every day for the past two weeks, so leaving her for the night shouldn't be a big deal right? Maybe it was because of the night they had. It was relaxing, and save for the Lisanna incident, they had had a lot of fun. Damn, Lisanna.

That had been the last thing he was expecting to happen on their date. If it were Gray or someone else that had popped up, he wouldn't have hesitated to tell them to fuck off. It was harder for him with Lisanna though. She was his childhood friend after all, but when he noticed the resigned look on Lucy's face at her appearance, he had to grow some balls and tell her that he was too busy with Lucy to hang out. Speaking of which, he had to apologize to Lucy.

Pulling his hand out of his pocket, he placed the key in her hand but didn't let go of it immediately.

"I'm sorry about tonight Luce."

Her eyebrows rose in confusion until she realized what he was apologizing for. "Oh Natsu, it's not your fault. You couldn't have known that was going to happen, and besides, it's not that big of a deal." He frowned in response but she just smiled, taking the key from him and turning to unlock the door.

He shook his head, his frown spreading. He had known her long enough to know that she was actually bothered by it. Truth be told, he was too. He had taken the date pretty serious, and although she acted indifferent about it, he knew Lucy did too. It was almost as if they had some kind of spell on them that made someone or something happen every time they got close to each other in a more than friendly way. He wanted to make it up to her, he just didn't know how.

"Well, thanks for tonight Natsu. I really had a lot of fun."

He snapped out of his thoughts to find Lucy standing directly in front of him, a nervous smile of her face. Before he knew it, she had leaned in and gently placed her lips against his.

The instant the smooth skin of her lips touched his, the last of his resistance shattered into a million pieces.

Without a second thought, Natsu wrapped his arms around her, crushing her against his body as he pushed his lips more fully against hers. He felt her gasp against his mouth and he slipped his tongue past her lips to meet her own, effectively deepening the kiss as her arms came up and wrapped around his shoulders while her tongue battled for dominance over his.

Breaking a hand away from her waist, he fumbled for the doorknob behind her, his fingers brushing against it before latching on and turning before he swung the thing open and moved them inside. He stumbled around with her blindly, too focused on his hands roaming over her curves and the way she was kissing him back to really pay attention to where they were going.

Eventually they hit something solid and Lucy fell backwards, pulling him down with her onto what looked to be the bed. With her lips momentarily detached from his, he was able to think for a second, and took in the sight of the woman beneath him. Her chest was heaving up and down, making her pant slightly as she looked up confused but excitedly into his eyes. Her hair was spread about her head like a golden halo, her dress pulled dangerously low on her chest. He couldn't help but think that the sight was the single most beautiful thing he had ever seen when an idea hit him. He suddenly had a solution to his earlier problem of how to redeem the night for Lucy.

He was going to make it up to not only her but himself by finishing what they had started two weeks back, no matter what the interruption may be this time.

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

**KTKG SAYS:** SO! There you have it! Sorry for the delay, I had a lot going on. I hope this chapter more than makes up for those of you who have been waiting for an update. Let me know how it was, REVIEW! Hahahahaha! Until next time!


	11. Chapter 11

**KTKG Says:** So… this happened. I'm not going to change the rating just yet, seeing as I'm not sure if this even qualifies for the rating change, but be ready for future chapters that the rating will indeed be changing to M. So, anyway, ON WITH THE CHAPTER!

**Chapter 11**

_She was hot, like her whole body was on fire. She felt like she was surrounded by fire, and it wasn't the least bit uncomfortable for her. _

_In fact, she loved it._

_Arching her neck and back, she pushed herself closer to the heat, her hands fisting in soft cotton that she yanked in her general direction, trying her hardest to become one with the source of the fire. A baritone laced chuckle made her crack her eyes open only to find that rose-colored locks obscured her vision. Her eyes slid shut yet again the moment she felt molten lips latch themselves to the side of her neck._

_The moan that ripped from her throat was purely primal in nature and gave her a burst of strength she needed to finally rip the material in her hands apart. The action made the source of heat pause above her. _

_Craning her head back a bit, she looked up into her best friend's, or rather her current __**lover's,**__ surprised face and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry." She didn't mean to actually rip apart his shirt, she just really wanted to get to what she knew was underneath there. He chuckled and smirked back at her, a smirk she knew meant that he was up to something. _

_Suddenly, her dress was pulled down to her waist, exposing the strapless bra she wore underneath that barely managed to cover her chest. His smirk widened further as he brought her now partly burnt bra around for her to see. "Sorry."_

_Gasping in surprise, she released the scraps of his shirt in her hands to cover herself but her hands didn't get far when he caught both of her wrists, shaking his head when her embarrassed eyes met his. Silently, he led her hands back to his bared chest and placed them there, his eyes never leaving hers which were now looking back at him in unhidden surprise. _

"_Natsu?"_

_His eyes travelled down her now exposed flesh then back up to her face, raw lust shining in his eyes. "You shouldn't hide from me Lucy. Not now when I can finally take my time and appreciate this part of you." She felt a blush blossom from her cheeks to her toes as he took a couple of seconds to really look at her before nodding in appreciation and reaching out with a calloused hand to touch her left breast._

_The skin on skin contact was almost too much for her, causing her eyes to roll back in her head and her back to arch so his hand was pressed firmly against her. _

_She groaned but the sound was swallowed by Natsu's mouth on hers. His hot hands roamed over the parts of her body that had previously been covered by her dress, heating her to the point that she wanted the thing completely off. Her own hands roamed over the plains of his chest and back, his skin surprisingly soft save for a scar or two that she came across. She raked her nails along his back, causing him to release her mouth and growl out in pleasure. _

_When looked he down at her in silent question, she knew what he was asking; permission. He was asking for permission to go further with her._

_Without a second thought she gave a nod, her eyes never leaving his. The smirk on his face was infectious and never left as he leaned down to claim her lips once more._

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Lucy moaned as she felt herself becoming conscious again. Shifting, she buried herself in the warmth she was currently wrapped in and sighed heavily, desperately trying to get herself to go back to sleep.

Waking up was the last thing she wanted to do at that moment. The dream she had had was one of the best ones yet. Honestly, it felt so real that she swore it actually happened. Shifting again, she moaned at the soreness in her legs and felt her brows meet in confusion. What had she done yesterday that had her this sore?

Wiggling her toes, she kept her eyes closed as her thoughts drifted back to the dream she had just had.

It had felt incredibly real. If she concentrated hard enough, she could still feel his lips burning her skin where he kissed her, or feel his arms wrapped around her. Hell, she even still felt incredibly warm, like she was lying right next to him.

Wait a minute.

When she thought about it, she _was_ really warm, like someone had turned up the heat in her room or something. Shifting, she frowned when her face stuck to her pillow then froze instantly as that last thing processed itself in her head.

Faces don't stick to pillows.

In fact, pillows didn't feel like someone else's skin.

Her eyes shot open only to be obscured by an obviously male chest. An obviously _tanned_ male chest. Looking down at herself, she realized that she was completely naked, and pressed up against a very fit and male body that she realized was also completely naked. Looking up, her eyes traced the profile of the last person she would have ever thought she would actually wake up with.

Natsu Dragneel.

She reeled back in surprise but her body didn't get very far from his thanks to his arm which was wrapped securely around her back. She turned her head to look at the appendage that was holding her in place in surprise, and then whipped back around when she heard him groan.

He was still asleep as he shifted around a bit, his arm around her tightening and bringing her back to her original position against him. Instead of fighting against it, she allowed herself to mold against him and watched in silent amazement at the smile that spread across his face once she was settled. He sighed contentedly and titled his head so it rested atop hers, her head rising and falling with his chest as he took another deep breath before falling back into a deeper sleep.

She sat still for a while, listening to him breathe as her mind finally wrapped itself around the reality of the situation.

Holy. Shit.

Her dream was not a dream. It wasn't a dream at all, but rather a memory, which only meant one thing.

She had sex with Natsu.

She, Lucy Heartfilia, had SEX with NATSU.

How? How did this happen? Her mind backtracked to the night before and she frowned. She hadn't meant for her goodnight/thank-you kiss to turn into…that. Honestly, that was the last thing that she thought was going to actually happen. But oh shit, it happened.

She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and ended up getting a lung-full of Natsu's scent. Instead of calming her, it triggered another memory of the night before and she felt her face heat with the rush of blood to her cheeks. She couldn't believe that really happened.

When she thought about it, she didn't regret any of it. How long had she been dreaming of something like this? Much longer than the past two weeks, if she had to be honest with herself. She had thought that it was an unobtainable goal, that what had happened between them back in that little town had been nothing but a fluke, the result of the two of them taking their frustrations out in a non-violent way.

Apparently, that wasn't what it was.

Had he wanted her like she had wanted him? The answer was an obvious yes, since he was the one who initiated everything last night. But still, for some reason she had a hard time believing it. If the answer was indeed yes, she hoped he had suffered the last two weeks like she had.

Now more awake and aware of her surroundings, she recalled the night in full detail and felt her blush spread all the way down to her toes.

He had been so gentle with her, handling her as if her body was made of something as delicate as glass, until she demanded him to do otherwise. No wonder she was a bit sore. It had been the most amazing thing, nothing her dreams could have really prepared her for, and it left her in absolute disbelief that it had even taken place to begin with. Another thought popped into her head at that, throwing a cloud over her relived euphoria.

Where did that leave them now?

Were they together? Like a couple? Or was this just a one-time thing that they needed to get out of their system? More importantly, if this was just a fling, how was she going to continue to be his best friend and teammate?

She mulled over the thought for a couple of minutes and sighed in defeat at the answer she came up with. Of course she was going to continue on as if nothing happened. If he didn't want to take things any further than what they had shared, then she would just take it for what it was with a grain of salt. She realized as she was lying there, pressed against him, that she loved him enough to take whatever she could get from him.

Even if that meant it would slowly kill her on the inside.

"Luce? You awake?"

His voice, husky with sleep, brought her out of her thoughts and back to reality. She froze as she realized that the next couple of moments would give the answer to where they were headed from here.

Well here goes nothing.

Slowly, she raised her head off of his chest to find him looking at her with hooded eyes, the look sending shivers down her spine. Dammit, she needed to focus on the situation, not how good he looked lying there with sunlight streaming across his bare chest.

"Good morning."

"Morning Luce."

He stretched, his normal huge yawn ripping itself from his throat, the movement reminding her of Happy somehow.

"What time is it?" She looked past him to the clock that sat on the nightstand behind him. "It's about eight in the morning. We should probably start getting ready soon." She was silent after that, awkward in the way she wasn't sure what to do or say next. Natsu on the other hand looked completely at home, his arm having come back down to wrap loosely around her as soon as he was done stretching.

After a couple of minutes he finally sat up and stretched once more. Lucy's eyes latched onto the movement of the muscles in his back, then the slight scratch marks she had left behind last night.

Oops.

His stomach grumbled loudly and he let out a low chuckle. "I guess I'm hungry." He turned to look over his shoulder at her and she quickly pulled the comforter up around herself for coverage. "Are you hungry too?" Involuntarily, her stomach answered for her in the form of a growl. He chuckled again and the sound, deeper than normal since he had just woke up, was like music to her ears.

She really, _really_, had it bad for him.

"I'm gonna go get dressed." He stood up from the bed, giving her an up close and personal view of his toned behind, and she had to slap a hand over her mouth to keep the squeak in her throat. She watched in silence as he pulled back on his clothes, first his boxers and then his shorts. He looked around for his shirt and chuckled when he found the scrap of material on the floor. "Well, I guess I'm out of a shirt for the walk to my room."

She pulled the comforter over her head in embarrassment, mumbling a muffled 'sorry' in response. She felt the cover being tugged out of her grip and opened her eyes to find Natsu's face mere centimeters from her own. "You don't have anything to apologize for. If it meant you were going to do that again, I'd sacrifice every last shirt I owned."

Her mouth fell open and she was about to call him a pervert when he silenced her by placing his lips against hers.

The kiss was so sweet and gentle that she almost whimpered when he pulled away. It was completely different from the kisses they had shared up until now. He smiled at her shocked face and reached a hand up to ruffle her already messed up hair.

He straightened up and picked up what was left of his shirt, smirking amusedly at it before chucking it in the garbage and heading towards the door. "Hurry up and get dressed! I'll be waiting for you downstairs!" With that he was out the door, the sound of the door clicking shut echoing in the room as Lucy sat on the bed completely dumbfounded.

That kiss didn't answer anything for her. In fact, it only made her more confused.

Huffing, she threw the covers off of her and marched herself into the bathroom, starting the shower and filling the room with steam. She hated to admit it, but she was suddenly cold with him gone. Growling, she jumped in the shower and let the water run over her, her head falling back in exasperation.

This was going to be one long train ride back home.

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Lucy rubbed absent-mindedly at the burn on her neck.

She wasn't really sure if it was a burn, to be honest. It looked like one, but it didn't actually _feel_ like one. She wasn't sure how it even got there, but she figured that she burned herself while curling her hair the night before. She must have been so excited that she hadn't even noticed it.

She glanced around at the various people milling about the train station, noticing no one she knew was around for the moment, and sighed in relief.

Finally, a moment of quiet.

Breakfast had been the usual show of craziness when the members of Fairy Tail were involved. Thankfully, there wasn't too much damage done to the dining hall so that meant they were welcomed back, but not any time soon. For all the normal craziness, there was one thing that was completely out of place to her; Gajeel had stared at her the whole time.

Honestly, it was kind of creepy.

Her friend hadn't been anywhere in sight, and she wondered if he was just trying to get the nerve up to come over and ask where the blunette was, as this was sometimes the case. After a couple of moments however, she figured it was something else and tried to discreetly feel her face for some food or something that might be there. A low growl from Natsu whom had sat beside her solved the problem of Gajeel's attention on her, but instead of returning the growl Gajeel just smirked and got up to leave.

In one word, it was weird.

"Lu-chan! There you are!"

She turned to look over her shoulder and the blue-haired woman running in her direction and smiled as Levy finally approached her. "I've been looking for everywhere you! I haven't seen you since yesterday."

The two settled on a nearby bench, arranging their bags at their feet for easy access. Lucy smirked at the obvious totes full of books. "I see you've been busy. You find a good bookstore around here?"

Levy's eyes lit up. "Oh my gosh, _yes_~! I was trying to find you this early this morning so we could go, but when you didn't answer my knocks I figured you were still sleeping."

Lucy was really proud of the way she was able to keep the shocked and mortified expression off of her face. If Levy had come a little later, she would have caught Natsu creeping out of her room, shirtless.

Thank Mavis.

"So, how was your date last night?"

This time, Lucy wasn't able to keep her eyes from almost popping out of their sockets. She whipped her head around to see if any other members of Fairy Tail were within hearing range before zeroing in on Levy's now confused face. "You didn't tell anybody about that did you?" Slowly Levy shook her head no, and Lucy relaxed into the back of the bench.

"Did something happen?"

Lucy's hand went to the burn on her neck and rubbed as she tried to think of an answer to give her friend.

It wasn't that she didn't want Levy to know, it was just that people like Cana and Mira had a way of getting information out of the petite blunette. Ways that involved alcohol. They knew that Levy normally knew Lucy's secrets, and this was one she wasn't sure she wanted anyone to know yet. At least until she was able to figure out her and Natsu's relationship status.

"Um, well, nothing bad really. Lisanna showed up."

Levy gave her a sympathetic look and Lucy just waved it off. "It's not like it was that big of a deal." Levy gave her a look but once again, Lucy waved her off. Levy shrugged in response. "Whatever you say. So what did you guys end up doing?"

Lucy sighed and leaned back on the bench, willing herself to remain as nonchalant as possible. She had to stay in control as much as possible. "Nothing much, just went out to that one restaurant on the beach. Then we actually went down on the beach to watch the fireworks show they had." Levy smiled. "It sounds like you guys had a nice night, well, save for the interruption." Lucy smiled in return, nodding her head in agreement.

In the silence that spread between them, Lucy mentally gave herself a pat on the back for not revealing anything to her friend. The victory was short-lived however with Levy's next question.

"So, did you kiss?"

Lucy tried to remain as stoic as possible but the blush on her face said it all. She heard Levy gasp in surprise next to her but she refused to look at her, knowing if she did, she would tell her that they did a lot more than just kiss.

Unfortunately for Lucy, her blush deepened at the very thought of last night's activities.

"Oh my gosh you _did _kiss him!"

"Levy!"

Levy slapped a hand across her mouth at the realization of how loud she had been, but her hand couldn't hide the large smile behind it. Behind Levy, Lucy spotted the rest of the guild making their way over to them and hurriedly tried to quiet her friend. "Shhh! Don't say anything Levy!"

Levy looked over her shoulder then back at Lucy, her eyes narrowing in suspicion at the blonde. Lucy on the other hand felt like her face was on fire. "There's something else you're not telling me Lu-chan." If possible, Lucy's face flushed even further. "Levy~!"

Sighing in defeat, Levy reached down to gather her bags before standing up. "Fine, I won't say anything, but you have to promise to tell me everything that happened when we get back. I mean_ everything._"

She didn't wait for Lucy's reply before she turned and waved to the others and boarded the newly arrived train.

Relieved for the moment, Lucy gathered her own belongings and boarded the train, heading straight to the back of the car and settling in by the window. Just as she was about to finally relax, a pink-haired head plopped itself down in her lap making her jump in surprise.

"Natsu!"

The main in question didn't remove his head from its place, instead he turned slightly to crack an eye open and glare at her. "What do you think you're doing?" He scoffed in response, turning back around and snuggling his head further into her lap. "What does it look like I'm doing? We both know that I'm going to end up in this position some time during this train ride so I might as well get a head start before we even start moving." He paused briefly, holding his breath then letting it out in a hot puff of air on her thighs.

"Besides, I like laying here, and you're the only one who can make me feel better."

Really, she didn't have anything to say to that, so the debate was over and done with that one sentence from him. Damn him, how was it that he always knew what to say to make her melt?

Huffing in irritation, she felt the jerk of the train taking off and turned her head to look out of the window. When she felt them really starting to pick up speed, her free hand went to Natsu's soft locks, running her fingers through them in an effort put him at ease. Within a few minutes, Natsu was fast asleep, snoring softly and looking completely at ease.

Lucy sighed, wishing she too could get some sleep. Really, she would be able to, if it weren't for the fact Levy and Gajeel were in the seats kitty corner from them smirking knowingly for all they were worth.

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X **

**KTKG Says: **SO! I'm really glad you guys enjoyed the last chapter. I tried to make the date seem as realistic as possible with these two and from the feedback I received, it looks like I did. Nice. Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter did you think? Good? Bad? Review!


	12. Chapter 12

**KTKG Says:** Hey everyone! I'm back with a new chapter for you! I have to say I'm so glad that you guys enjoyed the last one. Honestly, I wasn't too sure how good it was going to turn out but apparently it was good because you guys liked it! Oh! I'm over 150 reviews! I FREAKING LOVE YOU PEOPLE! CUPCAKES FOR EVERYONE!

Ahem.

Sorry.

Now! On with the new chapter!

**Chapter 12**

A light groan sounded in the otherwise dark room as Lucy rolled over. In her attempt to get comfortable so she could go back to sleep, she rolled over something that in turn groaned in protest. Her eyes snapped open as she quickly moved back to where she had originally been as she warily eyed the thing she had almost squished.

The darkness of the room prevented her from seeing anything past the lump of, _something_, under the covers beside her properly. Cautiously, she reached a hand out and gave the lump a hard poke. Immediately a mumbled whine reached her ears.

"Lushiii~"

Oh, it was just Happy.

Sighing she placed her hand on the larger portion of the lump that she assumed was his head and rubbed apologetically. "Sorry Happy, go back to sleep." She watched as he shifted around a bit, the sound of his tail thumping against the mattress reaching her ears before he let out a sigh himself.

Waiting a couple of seconds, she listened for Happy's usually nasally snore. When the sound reached her she quietly rose from the bed and headed down the hall to the kitchen. It was obvious that she wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep so she might as well get herself a snack.

Flipping the light on, she winced at the brightness that suddenly invaded her optics. After waiting for her eyes to adjust, she shuffled over to the fridge and rummaged through it, settling on a glass of milk to go with the cookies she knew were hidden in her bottom drawer of her desk. While Natsu didn't have a sweet tooth, she knew Gray did, and seeing as he had picked up a habit of stopping over at the house as of late she had to take to hiding her treats from the ice mage.

Bring her glass over to her desk, she sat down and grabbed her treat out, munching on a cookie as she leafed through her latest chapter that she wrote. She had every intention of adding on to it, but unfortunately for her that wasn't about to happen. Her mind, as it had been lately, was somewhere else entirely.

Sighing, she leaned back in her chair as she reached for another cookie and let her eyes wander to the ceiling as she ran over what had been bothering her lately.

She still didn't know what label to apply to her and Natsu.

When they had arrived back from their mini vacation, she hadn't had a chance to really sit down and talk with him. They had been whisked away on a mission with Gray and Erza, leaving her no privacy with him to figure things out. On top of that, when they got back, things had been rather busy around town also. The two of them were still taking little side missions to raise money for her to move out and they have kept her so busy that at the end of the day, all she and Natsu wanted to do was rest. She had had every intention of cornering the dragon slayer but unfortunately she would pass out while waiting for him to finish his shower.

Things hadn't really been any clearer either and in a way, it was starting to irritate her.

Natsu's behavior had been more confusing than ever to her, and with not being able to ask him about it, Lucy hadn't been able to focus on much as it was mainly focused on him.

For the past couple of weeks, it had been as if they were in a relationship. They shared a bed, which really wasn't anything new except for the fact that he would always cuddle with her right after kissing her goodnight.

Oh, and the kisses didn't stop there.

He would always kiss her in the morning when he got up or sneak little pecks in to the back of her neck when she was attempting to write or cook. He was also always touching her, either throwing an arm around her to pull her close when they were sitting on the couch or hugging her from behind while she did her hair for the day. He was always where she was, always somewhere close, but not to the point where he was hovering or anything.

When she really thought about it, it wasn't really anything different from his normal behavior. The only difference was that he was more affectionate, and honestly, she loved every minute of it. Every kiss and touch he gave her had her melting and almost whining for more, especially the kisses.

She absolutely loved the kisses he gave her.

While all of that was nice, there was something that was bothering her about everything though. For one, the touches and kisses never went any further. They would get heated every once and a while, but needless to say they hadn't had a repeat of Akane beach, and really she couldn't understand why.

Was he waiting for her permission again? She had thought that her responses were enough but apparently not as he would always stop just before it went too far.

The other thing that confused her was he was only really affectionate when they were alone. Well, she took that back, Happy would be there too but he didn't really count. When they were at the guild, he was always busy fighting with Gray or anyone really, to be affectionate with her. That wasn't really a big deal though when she thought about it. The problem was he would hold her hand on the walk there, and as soon as they walked through the doors, he would let go.

Did he not want people to know about them, whatever they were, at the moment? Was he ashamed of her? Was it because of Lissana? The two had been as close as ever since they got back but it wasn't anything out of the norm. He still paid equal attention to her and since they were normally out on a small mission, when they were at the guild Lucy was busy catching up with Levy and Cana to notice anything.

She shook her head at that last thought, knowing Natsu would never be ashamed of her for anything but still, the thought lingered. She didn't know how deep Natsu's feelings for her ran and until things were clarified she couldn't help all thinking about all the reasons for him to hide his affections for her. She knew he felt something for her, she just wasn't sure if it was as deep as the love she felt for him.

Sighing, she finished the last cookie in her hand and chugged down the rest of her milk before getting up to head back into the kitchen.

It was no use dwelling on any of it right now. Natsu was on a special mission with Gajeel, of all people, and wouldn't be back until some time next week. Maybe then things would have calmed down enough so she and Natsu could finally talk. Her hand unconsciously played with the now scarred mark on her neck as she though about the man Natsu was on a mission with.

Gajeel Redfox.

That man had one hell of a staring problem. It hasn't been something that was consistent, but every once in a while Lucy would look up when Natsu was sitting next to her to find him looking in their direction with the most annoying smirk on his face. It was as if he knew something she didn't, and it made her want to smack the look right off his face. Natsu would generally do it for her, seeing as the staring would always lead to them fighting.

Oh well, she wasn't going to think about it too much for now. She had a small assignment in the morning to help Mira out with the bar. The guild had taken to opening their doors to the public once a week for some extra cash seeing as some members have been particularly destructive lately, and since she had nothing better to do, she decided to help Mira when she needed it.

Climbing back into the plush bed, Lucy was careful to watch out for the blue Exceed beneath the covers. Settling in on her side, Happy curled up behind her and she couldn't help the small smile on her face. The vibrations of his slight purring helped calm her racing mind to the point that she was finally feeling drowsy enough to sleep. Snuggling further into the comforter, the last thought that ran through Lucy's head was that Natsu better hurry up on whatever mission he was on. She had questions that she needed answered as soon as possible.

Plus, it wasn't the same without him beside her at night.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"So, you and bunny-girl huh?"

Natsu paused in his eating and looked up from his plate across the campfire in question. Gajeel had already finished his food and was looking at him with that damn smirk he's been wearing for the past few weeks.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

The iron dragon slayer's smirk spread further across his face as he leaned in, one elbow propped up by a bent knee as he pointed the other finger in Natsu's direction. "Don't play dumb, you and blondie are an item now, aren't you?"

Natsu kept an indifferent look on his face as he placed his plate aside. He should have known that this was coming considering the fact that Gajeel had been snickering every time he and Lucy were together in the man's general vicinity. Now that their mission was over, he guessed it was time to settle things. Setting his face in an annoyed expression, he turned his eyes back on the long haired man across from him.

"What would make you think we were together?"

Gajeel leaned back and crossed his arms, his eyebrows coming down further on his face. "Oh I don't know, maybe because she's smelled like you since Akane beach." Natsu couldn't help his eyebrows shooting up towards his hairline in surprise. The action served to only satisfy his fellow dragon slayer as the smirk was back in full force on Gajeel's face.

Natsu tore his eyes away from his companion to train them on the fire between them for a moment. Lucy smelled like him? Was Gajeel's nose on the fritz or something? Last time he checked Lucy smelled as she normally did, like Night Blooming Jasmines. "What the hell are you talking about? She smells just like she always does!"

Gajeel let out a laugh as he reclined a bit. "Yeah, to you she does, but since you marked her she smells like you to the rest of us dragons." At the comment, Natsu's eyes widened to the size of the plate sitting next to him.

Holy shit. He knew.

No wonder the bastard had been giving him that look lately. He knew what he and Lucy had done back at Akane beach. Hell, he knew what he had done to Lucy while Lucy didn't even know!

"I have to hand it to you Salamander; I didn't think you actually had it in you to claim her. A lot of us thought you were too dense to make it happen."

Natsu had to suppress the groan that threatened to emerge from his throat as his eyes slid shut.

Natsu had been known to be dense, but he wasn't that dense, and he knew that if Gajeel knew he had marked Lucy then there was a pretty good chance that Levy knew as well. That, in turn meant that half of the guild knew as well, which could only mean one thing.

Lucy had found out while he was gone.

Shit, he was dead the minute he got home.

Lucy had no idea what he had done to her when they had… yeah. It wasn't as if he really did it on purpose, although now that he thought about it, he really had. He had been wanting to make her his for a while, even before the strip club episode, so when they had finally picked up where they had left off he had let his instincts take over completely and marked her.

He hadn't realized what he did until the next morning when he saw her fingering her neck at the train station. When she hadn't said anything about it, he opted to stay quiet until he could figure out a way to gently break it to her what that mark on her neck meant. He knew Lucy had a tendency to blow things out of the water, so he figured telling her _'oh, by the way, that mark on your neck means your mine forever'_ wouldn't go over too well. He would probably need a full body cast by the time she was done with him if he sprung it on her like that.

Honestly, he was scared shitless of what her reaction to it would be. It wasn't reversible; it was permanent, as in until she died. It also went the other way, meaning she would be the only one he would ever be with. It didn't bother him at all though, seeing as he could admit, if only to himself at the moment, that he loved her. The problem was, he wasn't sure how deep her feelings ran for him.

He knew that she felt something for him, considering the fact that she accepted all of his touches and kisses without complaint. In fact, if he didn't know any better he could even say she liked it. A lot. The thing was, he wasn't sure if she really wanted to be in a relationship with him, let alone his mate for life, thus the reason he experimented here and there with the kissing and whatnot. He wouldn't dare try it out in pubic though, although the hand-holding thing seemed to be working in his favor. But then again, if Gajeel knew…

"Who all knows about this?"

Gajeel paused mid-chew, the piece of metal hanging from his mouth sticking straight out for a second before he swallowed the whole thing. "Knows about what? You and bunny-girl officially being an item?" Slowly Natsu nodded, almost scared to hear what the answer was going to be.

"As far as I know, only me."

The sigh of relief that left him was loud and long. Good. This was good.

"What's the matter Salamander, still trying to keep things a secret?"

Natsu remained silent as Gajeel observed him with a critical eye. It was obvious that something was off about this situation. The flame-headed idiot should be ranting and raving about Blondie being his and no one else's, not sitting there and… thinking. Salamander never thought longer than was necessary. Not to mention the fact that he seemed like he wanted to keep quiet about this whole thing.

Gajeel was silent as well as he thought back over the past couple of weeks to what he had observed of the couple. They weren't really lovey-dovey, but then again he was one to talk wasn't he? Blondie seemed like the type that would be though, and if she had agreed to being his mate, she should have been all over him in public right? Unless…

Gajeel's eyes widened slightly as a thought popped in his head.

"She doesn't know, does she?"

He watched in amazement as Natsu stiffened in response to the question.

Holy, the man had claimed someone without them even knowing about it. "How the hell did you manage to do that?!"

Natsu glared, his irritation level going through the roof. Not only did Gajeel know about him claiming Lucy, he now knew that she didn't even know he'd done it. "It's none of your damn business! Shit happens!" Gajeel gave him a look, and Natsu couldn't do anything but sigh.

He couldn't believe what he was about to tell metal-head.

"Okay, okay, something like this doesn't just happen, Igneel explained everything to me so you can spare me the lecture. The thing is… well… things kinda got hot and heavy between us and my instincts kinda took over." He looked away to his partially-eaten plate of food, his appetite long gone with the conversation at hand.

Gajeel on the other hand was silent as he took everything in. He could honestly sympathize with the man sitting across from him, as he too had a hard time checking himself with the Shrimp, but still…

"You have to tell her Salamander. This isn't something that you can just blow off."

Natsu ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "I know that! It's just… It's not that simple." He looked up to see the amused smirk back on Gajeel's face and instantly regretted opening up to his fellow dragon slayer.

"You're worried she doesn't want to be your mate, aren't you?"

The only thing he could do was hang his head in response, making Gajeel burst out in laughter.

"Salamander, you really are an idiot."

Natsu's eyebrow arched in question and Gajeel sighed before elaborating. "It's obvious to everyone, and I mean _everyone_, that you and Blondie are more than just teammates and best friends. I highly doubt that she would be opposed to the whole thing." He stood up and stretched, the smirk never leaving his face. "So, stop being a little bitch about the whole thing and tell her what everyone already knows; she's yours."

With that, he turned and headed towards the tent he had set up a few hours later, disappearing into it without another word, leaving Natsu there to think about what he had just said.

True, he should just tell her, but there was always that fear he had in the back of his head that she would leave him if she knew. It was easier said than done though, but Gajeel did have a point. He really needed to talk to Lucy about it, and really, when had he been known to run away from something? With that last thought, he decided he would do it as soon as he got home.

He just hoped to Mavis that the whole thing wouldn't result in a trip to the infirmary for him.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

**KTKG Says:** And there you have it. I hope you enjoyed this! I'm going to try to update this a few more times before my break is over, so be on the look out for more chapters soon! I'm also thinking of adding one more chapter to **Thanks Happy**. If anyone is interested in that happening, let me know! And as always, REVIEW!


	13. Chapter 13

KTKG Says: I don't own Fairy Tail. On with the new chapter!

**Chapter 13**

Natsu shrugged his backpack higher onto his back, rolling his shoulders as he trudged along behind Gajeel. They had been walking for what seemed to be hours now, but he couldn't complain. In fact, he was rather grateful that his fellow dragon slayer hadn't wanted to take the train. Without Lucy there, that option was a definite no-go.

Lucy.

That name and face had been consuming his thoughts lately. He was still worried about what he was going to say as far as explanations went, but the further he and Gajeel travelled, the further his mind tended to wander to other things.

Things like him and Lucy being…_together_… again.

"Oi, idiot! We're almost there."

Natsu snapped out of his thoughts to look at the back of Gajeel's long spikey-haired head, then past him to the entrance gate for Magnolia.

Home.

The two of them trudged through the gate, walking a few feet inside before Natsu stopped suddenly just outside of a bookstore that Lucy frequented. "Lucy…" He straightened his back suddenly, his hands gripping the straps of his pack in determination. He was ready to face the celestial mage and take whatever came his way, be it beatings or kisses.

He hoped to Mavis it was kisses.

"I know you're wanting to see your mate and all, but we have to report to Master first."

At Gajeel's comment, Natsu's keen eyes zeroed in on the town's clock, noting that it was almost half past five. Lucy would normally be at home, so a quick stop by the guild shouldn't be a problem. Besides, the small detour might actually do wonders for his confidence when it came to his impending confrontation.

Nodding his head, the two headed off in the direction of the guild.

A couple of minutes later, they reached their destination and the sight that welcomed them as soon as they walked through the doors was anything but normal. The two stood there silently as they took in the sight of the guild nearly packed to capacity with people. It was so packed in fact, that he couldn't see past the sea of people to the bar. Natsu looked to his companion for answers, who only shrugged in response.

"Natsu! You're back!"

The pink-haired man turned in to the direction of the voice only to find Lisanna running towards him with an enthusiatisc smile on her face. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Natsu briefly envisioned it was Lucy instead welcoming him back. He hoped to Mavis that was the kind of welcoming he got when he arrived home.

"Hey Lisanna! What's up with all the people? Are they all new members or something?"

Lisanna giggled and set the tray she had been holding down on a nearby table. "No, no. Mira-nee and Master decided to open the bar to the public during the once a week for some extra cash." Natsu nodded and frowned a bit as Lisanna's smile faded a bit and she started fidgeting with her hands. "Something wrong Lisanna?"

Her blue eyes met his and Natsu saw a bit of nervousness flash through them. "Um, Natsu? Do you think I could talk to you for a second?" Natsu raised an eyebrow in question but nodded anyway. They stood there in silence for a couple of seconds before Lisanna tacked on "in private?"

Both of his eyebrows shot towards his hairline before turning towards the almost forgotten Gajeel. The iron dragon slayer only shrugged before walking away, his version of 'I'll be waiting at the bar.'

Natsu turned back towards Lisanna who smiled shyly but led him towards the guild's back door.

Confused, Natsu followed in silence, scanning the guild for any sign of Lucy just in case she was at the guild instead of the house. He couldn't pick up her scent, and with all of the alcohol around he wouldn't be able to if he really wanted. Turning his attention back to the white-haired woman in front of him, he saw the nervousness creep unto Lisanna's face once more as they stopped outside by the guild's huge dumpster. What the hell were they doing out here? And while he was at it, what the hell did she want to talk to him about that had her nervous?

"Natsu… we've been friends for a really long time right?"

He nodded, wondering where this was going.

"What do you think of me?"

He paused at the question before saying the first thing that came to mind. "I think you're awesome Lisanna! You know that! What's with the questioning?" He didn't like the direction this conversation was headed, not to mention he had a bad feeling about all of this. For some reason, his instincts were waving all kinds of red flags.

Lisanna twirled a lock of short hair around one of her fingers before squaring her shoulders in determination and locked her blue eyes onto his. "I've been wanting to tell you something for a while now, but with you being you, I guess I'm just going to have to show you instead."

He was about to ask her what she was talking about as she started towards him, but a light breeze brought a scent to his nose that he had been longing to smell for the past week. Jerking his head in its direction, he frowned slightly when he didn't see anything. Unfortunately for him, his attention was pulled away Lisanna as she placed both hands on either side of his face and turned his head to face her. The next thing she did shocked him to his very core.

She kissed him.

Natsu froze for a second, not moving or responding to the kiss, before a quiet gasp reached his enhanced ears. Tearing himself away, he looked back in the direction he had been looking moments earlier. She wasn't there, but he knew she had been, her scent was strong as ever to him. He could hear the sound of her feet pounding on the ground in the distance.

Without a second thought, he started to follow her but was stopped by Lisanna's firm grip on his wrist.

"Natsu wait!"

He looked over his shoulder at her, the sadness in her expression making him pause for a second, but he pushed whatever feelings he had aside at the moment. It was going to hurt, and he wasn't sure what this would do to their friendship, but he had to be honest with her.

"I can't Lisanna. I'm sorry."

He started to remove his hand from her grip but she grabbed again before he could remove it completely.

"But Natsu! We've known each other for forever! What about all that marriage talk?"

His eyes softened a bit at the tears that were forming in hers as he shook his head. "That was a long time ago Lisanna, and I was just a kid back then. Hell, honestly I didn't even know what marriage was! I thought it meant you were going to cook for me all the time." At the statement, Lisanna's eyes widened in shock and she finally let go of him.

Taking a step back, Natsu had to fight the urge to take off for a couple of seconds longer. He needed to at least explain himself and give Lisanna some closure.

"I'm really sorry, but… I love someone else in that way. Don't get me wrong; I love you too, just not in that way. I'm sorry to tell you this, but even if things don't work out for me, my heart will always belong to the one I love, no matter what. I hope this doesn't ruin our friendship. You're a very special person to me, just not in the way you want to be."

He stood for a moment, watching as she digested everything he told her and the vast array of emotions that flashed across her face. Not being able to stay put, he turned and left, taking off as fast as he could in the direction he was sure Lucy had gone.

He felt sorry for Lisanna, and absolutely hated the fact that she was more than likely crying because of him, but what he had told her was true. His heart belonged to one person and one person only, which was Lucy, even if she didn't want him after all of this.

He was sure she saw them, and more than likely jumped to different conclusions. Shaking his head, he tried to speed up as he maneuvered through the various people on the street, trying to keep up with her scent. He was desperate to get to her as soon as possible. He needed to talk to her and he needed to talk to her now. Almost pushing over a random man, he apologized as he slipped through the space that was created and kept up his pace.

Of all the ways for his return home to be, this was definitely not one of them.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Lucy tried to blink as her feet pounded out a steady rhythm on the cobblestoned street beneath her. She was sure that she looked like a complete crazy person running and gasping for air as she was, but really at the moment she couldn't care less. All she wanted to do was get as far away as possible from the guild.

Her eyes filled with tears once again and she blinked for what had to be the hundredth time to clear them.

Of all the things she thought she would see while emptying the garbage for Mira that had not been one of them. The mere thought of the sight she had just seen had her closing her eyes as a fresh wave of tears pooled behind her lids. She instantly regretted the action as she ran smack into someone without knowing it.

"Oh!" She hit the ground and her eyes popped open in time to see various books falling to the ground. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she attempted to pick them up, keeping her eyes trained on the task in embarrassment. Her hand paused over a peculiarly colored book when the person across from her finally spoke.

"Lu-chan? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Her eyes snapped up to meet the concerned gaze of none other than Levy. She didn't get a chance to answer before Levy was helping her up and to her feet. "You're not hurt are you?" She shook her head no, at least not physically anyway. "Well what's wrong? Why are you crying? And running for that matter?"

At the question, Lucy couldn't help her face scrunching up in preparation of the sob that was building in her throat. "Natsu…" She couldn't get the rest out before the sob finally broke loose, startling the blunette in front of her.

Seconds later, Lucy found herself enveloped in a hug and finally the dam inside her broke. She had been wound up thinking about everything, and now with this turn of events, she really needed to let it all out.

Before she knew it, she was blubbering everything out to Levy. Between her sobbing and the fact that her face was shoved into her hands on Levy's shoulder, she wasn't sure if the girl could even understand what she was actually saying. It didn't matter though, she needed to let it all out, and so she did.

She told Levy everything. She told her about the mission she had taken as an exotic dancer and how Natsu and Gray had followed her out there. She told her about that fateful argument she and Natsu had had back at the hotel and how if Gray hadn't showed up, they would have had sex. She told her about Akane beach, when they had finally made love, and how affectionate but confusing he had been when they returned home. And last but not least, she told her about how she had caught him and Lisanna kissing behind the guild moments ago.

When she was finally done ranting and raving, Lucy sighed and stepped out of Levy's embrace to finally look at her. If it weren't for the situation at hand, Lucy would have absolutely thought Levy's shocked, open-mouthed expression comical.

"You… and Natsu… had sex?"

Slowly, Lucy nodded as Levy shook her head. "I'm sorry I just… didn't think Natsu had it in him really." Levy was still in a semi-state of shock, which Lucy could completely understand as she was too. Really, she didn't know how things had turned out like this. She felt as if everything she had dreaded happening was unfolding right before her eyes and it was breaking her heart.

"Levy-chan, can I stay with you for a little while? Until I find myself a place?"

If possible, Levy's eyes widened further. "But, I thought…"

"I can't stay with him. I… I need some time to think. Everything has been so confusing lately and with this, I just… I need a break." After a couple of seconds, Levy nodded her head in agreement, making Lucy sigh with relief.

Wiping her face free of any remaining tears, she scooped the blunette up in a hug and attempted to smile. "I'll go grab some of my things from his place and meet you at yours."

Without waiting for a response, Lucy took off down the street in the direction of the place she had been staying for a couple of months now. She wanted to get there before Natsu got the idea of coming home and she had to confront him. Now that she had gotten her tears out, she was beginning to get angry at the situation, and seeing the pink-haired dragon slayer was the last thing she needed right now. She would talk to him when she was ready, or rather when her heart was healed enough to.

Maybe.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

KTKG Says: And there you have it. Oh my, the DRAMA! I bet you didn't see any of that coming, did you? Yeah, me either. It just kinda turned in a different direction while I was writing. Anyway I want to apologize for the short chapter but I just wanted to get this out while I had the time. Also, sorry for any grammatical errors, I'm honestly half-alseep right now. Hopefully I'll have something else out by the end of this week! Please review and let me know what you think. Also, if you have time, please check out my new story **Big Sister Lucy** and let me know what you think! Until next time!


	14. Chapter 14

**KTKG Says: **Hey, I'm back with a new chapter! I just wanted to say thanks to those of you that take the time to review and let me know what you think about this story. I really appreciate the feedback and the encouragement from you guys! Anyway, thank you!

**Chapter 14**

The salty smell of her tears had him pausing at the front door to his house.

This couldn't be good. She was crying, and honestly, he didn't know how to deal with a crying Lucy. Really, when he thought about it, he didn't know how to deal with this situation at all.

Pushing his thoughts aside, he wrapped his hand around the doorknob and gave it a twist, his face settling into a determined expression. He wasn't about to lose his mate because he didn't know how to deal with the situation. He would see this through, and no matter what, try to fix whatever damage was done.

Swinging the door open, he took a couple of steps inside and paused. It was getting dark, but the living room was empty of anyone. Listening closely, he could hear sounds coming from the bedroom. It sounded like the rustling of clothes and sniffles. Instantly, his heart sank as his mind started jumping to the worst case scenario.

She wouldn't, would she?

He didn't even bother to close the door as he took off around the corner and down the hall, almost skidding to a halt as he came to the open door of the bedroom. Instantly, he felt his heart stop at the sight before him.

"Luce…"

There, in the middle of the room buried in her belongings. Her suit case lay open beside her, half stuffed with some of her clothes. Her back that was facing him went ridged when he uttered her name, but she didn't turn around. Instead she sniffed quietly.

The scent of fresh tears assaulted his nose and he tentatively took a step forward. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he called out to her again. "Luce… what are you doing?"

"You could have told me."

His eyebrows shot towards his hair line in confusion. He could have told her? Told her what? She stayed in her position of facing away from him as she continued on. "Something told me that… that it wasn't what I had thought it was. What I had _hoped_ it was." She sighed and dropped the pair of jeans she had clutched in her hands, her shoulders drooping with the movement. "I should have known though. I mean, you guys have more of a history and a bond than you and I probably ever will."

Natsu could barely hear what she was saying over the pounding in his ears. His stomach twisted in an unpleasant way as he digested what she was saying. Oh Mavis, she couldn't possibly be saying what he thought she was saying, could she? Just to make sure, he decided to ask for clarification.

"What…what are you talking about?"

Finally, she turned to him and he was surprised to find her glaring at him through pools of tears. Her brown eyes almost became slits as she took in the confused expression he was sure was on his face.

"Don't play dumb with me Natsu. I saw you and Lisanna behind the guild."

The frown that spread across his face was instantaneous. He knew she had seen, but the anger on her face made him surprisingly upset with Lisanna. After all, she was the one who had started this whole mess. He pushed his anger aside when he noticed she had resumed her hasty packing. Reaching out a hand, he grabbed her shoulder, freezing her instantly.

"Lucy wait, I can explain everything."

She turned, shrugging her shoulder out of his grasp as she shut the lid on her luggage, throwing her whole body into the action. "There's nothing to explain! I saw everything Natsu, _everything_." Her glare was back on him full force and he took a step back. Man, she was _pissed_.

"But Lucy, it wasn't what you think! Lisanna-"

"Oh please Natsu, you really expect me to believe that she just kissed you because she's just a friend?!"

She was up on her feet now, hauling her suitcase up with her as she stood to her full height. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he could help but notice how beautiful she was when she was all fired up. Shaking his head to get back on track, he reached for her again but she stepped back. The action made him feel like she had just stabbed him in the chest.

"Don't Natsu. Just, don't."

Of course, he wouldn't listen to her. Lucy sighed as she turned away from the pink-haired man in front of her. She had hoped that he wouldn't have come to the house before she had finished grabbing some things, but of course here he was, trying to explain something to her that didn't need any explaining. The sight she saw had explained everything to her loud and clear.

He had chosen Lisanna.

She should have known that something was going on between them though, although now she was mad at herself for holding out hope that there was something between her and Natsu. She had to remember that they weren't actually in a relationship though. But the way he had held her in bed that morning before going off with Gajeel… what did that mean? Had what they shared meant nothing to him? Or was she his little secret outside of the guild?

"Lucy, would you just listen to me for a second?"

Her eyes were suddenly on his face, his obsidian eyes staring into her own, but she wouldn't listen. She had a lot to say, things that had been building up over the past couple of weeks, and she was going to say it. But first, she just wanted to know something. "Why?"

He blinked in confusion and she continued on. "Why make love to me, cuddle and hold my hand… act like you _loved_ me if in the end you wanted Lisanna? You can't have us both." The shock on his face had her reeling in anger again, and really she didn't know why. Maybe she was angry at the whole situation, angry at him for leading her on. Or maybe, just maybe, she was angry with herself for allowing herself to fall in love with him in the first place.

She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice he was reaching for her until it was too late. His warm hands latched on to her forearms before she had a chance to move away, the sudden action making her drop her luggage.

"Where the hell are you getting this all from Lucy?"

It was now Natsu's turn to be pissed. What the hell was she thinking? Did she really think that he did all of those things because, well, just because? Everyone knew that he did and said things that he meant, even her. Why was she not seeing it?

"I did those things because… well… because!" He sighed in frustration and her mouth turned down into a frown. Why was it so hard for him to tell her that he did it because he _did_ love her? His eyes travelled down her neck and rested on the mark there. Taking a deep breath, he tried again. "Luce…" He was at a loss of what to say, so he decided to just say it. She cut him off however before he could get out a single word.

"It's okay. I understand."

She was strangely calm all of a sudden and he leaned back to try to get a look at her down-turned head. "It was a mistake, all of it. It just… I just thought…"

Suddenly, he found himself panicking. This was not what he wanted to happen. This wasn't supposed to happen! Desperate to show her that it wasn't what she thought it was, he tugged her in his direction, sealing his lips over hers. When she didn't respond to the kiss, he pulled away and his heart broke at the sight that greeted him.

Tears were running down her cheeks as she turned her head away. He watched as she bit her bottom lip in an attempt to keep the sob in her throat in check.

"I-I can't."

He felt his eyes widen. "Lucy…" She shook her head, effectively silencing anything else he was about to say.

She couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't tell her why he did the things he did, let alone give them the label she had been craving for almost a month now. She needed space, needed to get away from him so she could clear her head and think things through. She had desperately wanted to kiss him back, but the image of those same lips planted against Lisanna's wouldn't leave her mind.

"I have to go Natsu."

His grip tightened on her arms but the pleading look that she threw him had him eventually letting go. He stared at her for a couple of minutes, but eventually let go completely. She took a step back, tearing her eyes away from him to look for the luggage she had dropped earlier. She couldn't look at him. The lost and defeated expression on his face had her already broken heart shattering into even smaller pieces.

Without another word or a glance in his direction, she scooped up the suitcase and hurried out of the room, rushing down the hall and out the door that Natsu had left wide open in his haste.

Natsu on the other hand was frozen where he stood.

He glanced around at the clothes she had left behind scattered on the floor, his eyes roaming further and settling on the plush bed. Stiffly, he made his way over to it and sat, his hands instantly coming up to catch his falling head.

What the hell was he supposed to do now? Lucy hadn't responded when he kissed her, couldn't even look in his direction as she practically ran out of the house. He let out a breath that sounded more like a shudder to his own ears.

Maybe, just maybe, there was no fixing this.

Shaking his head at that last thought, he reclined in the bed; Lucy's sent wafted up to meet him but it didn't calm him like it normally did. This time, it made him feel like Gajeel had gut punched him with his iron arm.

He had to fix this, some way some how. Until then, he had to let Lucy be. After years of dealing with her temper and emotions, he knew enough to know that right now wasn't the best time for confrontation. He'd give her a couple of days and hopefully try again.

Hopefully, he'll be able to save whatever relationship had been blossoming between them.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

**KTKG Says: **And there you have it. I'm sorry this chapter is so short, but trust me, I had to end it there! I'm going to try to have the next chapter up by Sunday, but I make no promises~! Please review and let me know what you think! Also, please check out my other story **Big Sister Lucy**. I know it's a shameless plug, but really, what can you do? Meh. REVIEW!


	15. Chapter 15

KTKG Says: Please don't hate me too much. I know I said I would have had this out like, last week, but you know I didn't make any promises! So, since my school's website is down and it's a holiday weekend, I'm here with a new chapter! Enjoy and remember, I DON'T OWN FAIRY TAIL!

**Chapter Fifteen**

"So this is the kitchen… and over here we have the bathroom."

Lucy followed the landlady around silently, looking halfheartedly at the different rooms that were being pointed out to her. They were small, slightly dingy, and not at all interesting.

"So, what do you think?"

Lucy gave the apartment one last once-over and forced a smile on her face as she turned in the woman's direction. "It's nice, but I think I'm going to have to think it over. Do you mind if I took a day or two and then got back to you?" The woman frowned as she crossed her arms over her chest. Great, another pushy landlord that Lucy definitely wasn't interested in having.

"I guess you could, but you'd better make it quick. There's a ton of people interested in this unit so if you take too long it might slip through your fingers."

Somehow, Lucy really doubted that.

Smiling anyway, she made her way out of the apartment building and down the street, walking aimlessly before she came to a small café on the corner. Sitting down at an outdoor table, she ordered a small vanilla mocha and let her mind wander as she waited for it to be brought to her.

It had only been two days since the incident with Natsu and she really wasn't feeling any better. While she had calmed down some, she kept trying to go over what had happened to see if there was something that she missed. Natsu had been trying to tell her something, but at the time, she hadn't wanted to hear it. She had been so mad and hurt at what she saw, that she had been desperate to just get away and clear her head. That obviously hadn't happened and now that she had managed to think things over, she realized their confrontation had caused more damage than repair.

Her thoughts were broken momentarily as her drink arrived. She thanked the waiter and lazily began to stir the cup's contents as her mind once again began to wander.

She couldn't help but feel that she had messed things up. When she had talked to Levy after escaping from Natsu's, the blunette had pointed out that maybe she should have let Natsu really explain himself. It was a known fact after all that Natsu didn't say and do things he didn't mean. Levy had also pointed out that Lucy wasn't the only one who had been eyeing Natsu, and it could have very well been that Lisanna had thrown herself at Natsu instead. Their conversation had been cut short at the arrival of Fairy Tail's iron dragon slayer, and at the look on his face Lucy decided to make herself scarce and fast.

Thus, the reason she was already apartment hunting.

While her relationship, if you could call it that, was up in the air Lucy refused to encroach on anyone else's while she was figuring things out. So, as much as she hated it, she decided that it was time for her to find a new place.

So far, she'd been turning up empty-handed.

She had seen a couple of really nice contenders on the outer part of the city, as well as some that would be easy on her wallet but left much to desire, like the one she had just left. While they were all nice, they all had one thing in common that completely turned her off.

They weren't Natsu's house.

As much as she hated to admit it, the last couple of months had led her to feel and think of Natsu's house as home. Nothing compared to the coziness and comfort that the pink-haired idiot's house offered and unfortunately for Lucy, it was putting a damper on her apartment search.

Frowning, she pulled the spoon out of the now cold coffee and sighed. She wanted to go home, she really did, and she wanted to fix whatever she had with Natsu. There was one thing holding her back though, and that was the image of him and Lisanna with their lips locked. Another thing that had her questioning whether or not she could repair anything was the fact that she hadn't seen hide or hair of Natsu since she stormed out of the house. Was he avoiding her as well?

Sighing she forced herself to down the drink in her hand as she stood to leave, placing a couple of jewels down as payment before heading back down the street.

She was sure she was going to run into him tonight, there was no way of avoiding that. She still had to help Mira with the bar, and that meant going to the guild that she was sure Natsu would be at. She had been avoiding the place like the plague but now she had no choice but to venture there.

Even though she was upset with what had happened, she couldn't deny the fact that her body craved the fire mage. It wasn't even on a sexual level, even though she had been dreaming of a repeat of Akane beach for a while. Honestly, she just wanted to see him, to be near him. She wanted to hug him, to kiss him…

Oh, who was she kidding. She loved the idiot no matter what, and while it hurt to see what she saw, it hurt her more that he couldn't answer her question. She knew he wasn't one for words, but she needed to hear it out of his mouth. While Natsu was a man of action, Lucy knew she was a woman of words, and some words she really need to hear.

She wanted to hear him say 'I love you,' and then maybe they could rebuild what they had begun to build. If she heard that, and told him as well, then maybe she could go home.

She stopped dead in the middle of the street at that last thought and had to resist smacking herself in the face.

Like him saying those three little words would fix everything for them. While she wanted the conformation, she knew that it wasn't his entire fault, and that she needed to apologize for the way she had acted. He had obviously been trying to tell her something and instead of listening, she had let her emotions get the best of her and wrote him off, letting her fears that had been eating at her the weeks before take over. The crushed look on his face when she flashed through her mind and she suddenly felt sick.

She had to find Natsu and talk to him as soon as she was done helping Mira. She had her pride, but she was willing to swallow it and admit she had blown things out of proportion, simply because she had. She was still hurt, but not being with Natsu hurt her more.

Besides, her pride wasn't worth losing Natsu over.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"Are you okay Lucy?"

Lucy turned her head to meet the concerned blue eyes of Mirajane.

"I'm fine, just a little tired."

That was the understatement of the year there. While Levy's place at Fairy Hills was comfortable, her couch wasn't anywhere near as comfortable as Natsu's bed, and without the fire mage by her side Lucy hadn't got much sleep the last two days. Mira seemed to take the excuse at face value but her keen eyes saw there was something else going on. "Well, alright. If you need a break let me know, okay?"

Lucy nodded as the other woman walked away, grabbing some drinks she had prepared and heading out to the floor to pass them out. Once Mira was gone from sight, she turned her attention back to the sea of people, actively searching for a tuff of pink hair. Not finding any, she frowned slightly and resumed her cleaning of the bar top and come glasses.

She had been looking for Natsu all night with no luck. She had tried to not let her disappointment show but thanks to Mira's questioning, it was obvious she was failing. Throwing herself into her task as a distraction, she decided that if he didn't show up tonight she would just try to catch him again tomorrow. Besides, she hadn't really figured out what she was going to say to him anyway.

"Um… Lucy? Do you have a minute?"

Her head whipped up and to the right to meet with the same blue eyes she had seen a couple of minutes ago, although this time they didn't belong to Mira.

These eyes belonged to Lisanna Strauss.

Trying to school her face into a smile, Lucy was sure it came off as a wince as she sat the mug in her hand down. "Sure, what's up?" Lisanna's eyes trailed off to the side and Lucy followed a second later only to find Mira looking in their direction with a smile. She nodded and Lucy only had a second to wonder what she could have meant by that when Lisanna spoke up again.

"Can you follow me upstairs? It's quieter up there."

Slowly, Lucy nodded in agreement and followed the white haired woman through the large crowd and up the stairs. Once settled on the balcony that was once restricted to only S-class mages, Lucy did another quick sweep of the various heads in search of one that would definitely stick out. She had thought she spotted what she was looking for near the guild doors when Lisanna suddenly spoke up, making her turn away.

"I just wanted to say I'm really sorry."

Lucy tried to keep the surprise off of her face as she feigned confusion. "What are you talking about? What could you be sorry about?" Lisanna was silent for a moment as she turned her eyes away before bringing them back around to lock on Lucy's brown ones.

"I kissed Natsu."

This time, Lucy couldn't keep her eyebrows from racing upwards. Had Lisanna known she saw? Or was she just confessing to confess? If that was the case, she didn't have to. She and Natsu hadn't really been an official item at the time so…

"I want you to know that he didn't kiss me back." She laughed, almost bitterly, and looked away again before continuing on. "He just stood there, still as a statue, not kissing back at all. Anyway, he had said that he didn't love me like that, that I was more of a sister, and that he had someone else he loved."

Lucy felt her heart stop at the statement. He told Lisanna that he had someone he loved?

"I wasn't sure who it could be, but… after seeing how he acted without you around these past few days, I knew… it was you. I think I've always known, I just… didn't want to admit it to myself." Lisanna sighed, the sound ragged and Lucy noticed that her eyes were starting to tear up. "I'm really sorry, I just… I thought I had a chance. I realize now that I was reading too deep into things, and… look, I hope you can forgive me. Natsu had nothing to do with what you saw, it was all me."

She knew that Natsu had known she was there; he had to have smelled her, but not Lisanna. How could she have known that she knew about the whole thing? The confusion Lucy was feeling must have been evident on her face because Lisanna started explaining.

"Gajeel was the one who said something to me yesterday." The white-haired woman laughed briefly at the shocked expression on Lucy's face. "I know, that's the last person I would have ever expected. I had no idea why he would even bother, but when he said he didn't want to see his fellow dragon lose his mate-"

"Wait a minute. Mate?"

Lucy hadn't meant to cut Lisanna off, but the direction her explanation was going completely caught her off guard. In return, Lisanna gave her a confused look.

"Yeah, you're Natsu's mate, right? Gajeel said Natsu had marked you, but you guys just wanted to keep it quiet for a while until you were ready to tell everyone. I'm really sorry Lucy, I had no idea…"

Lucy however, wasn't listening to anything Lisanna was saying past her and Natsu being mates.

When the hell had that happened?

Her hand flew to the side of her neck and her eyes widened as her fingers came in contact with the scarred skin there. Was that what the hell that was? She racked her mind for the moment it could have happened. A flash of Natsu at her neck appeared in her mind from when they were at Akane beach. She remembered feeling a sharp biting pain followed by a short, searing pain as if she were being burned before he had started licking and suckling the area, thoroughly distracting her even now as she thought about it.

Dear Mavis, that must have been when he did it. No wonder Gajeel was giving her that creepy look the next day, he must have known about it the whole time! Her hand fell away limply from her hand as realization hit her like a ton of bricks.

Holy shit, she was Natsu's _mate_.

Taking off down the steps, she ignored Lisanna's frantic shouting of her name as she searched the crowd for the dragon slayer. She practically had to shove people out of her way as she whipped her head back and forth, searching but not finding what she was looking for. She did however, see a flash of blue fur and practically lunged for it.

"Happy!"

The blue feline turned around at the sound of his name. A huge smile lit up his face as he flew in her direction, his small arms stretched out to wrap around her. "LUSHIIII~!" She was almost knocked over from the force of Happy colliding with her, but she steadied herself as she wrapped her arms around him and gave a light squeeze in return.

"Where have you been? Natsu said you left! You didn't really leave did you?"

She gave the exceed a reassuring pat on the head and tried to pry Happy away from her chest so she could see his face. The big watering eyes that stared back at her had her pausing for a moment as she felt her heart warm. Happy really missed her didn't he? Shaking her head, she got back to the original reason she had called out to the feline in her arms.

"Happy, have you seen Natsu? I really need to talk to him."

She could practically see the wheels turning in Happy's head and she briefly wondered if there was someone else who would know. She was kind of in a hurry at the moment.

"He headed back to his house to pack before we head out on another mission."

Both her and Happy's head turned in the direction of the voice to find Gajeel standing there with a somewhat irritated expression on his face. "You better hurry up and fix this bunny girl, I'm getting real tired of him moping around." Lucy knew there was more that he wanted to say, more that he was irritated about, but she nodded and let go a Happy to take off through the crowd again.

After pushing people out of her way and getting yelled at in the process, Lucy finally made it through the crowd to the front double doors. A couple of seconds later found her racing through the street, tears pooling in her eyes as she turned herself in the direction of the place she considered home.

She couldn't believe that Natsu had marked her. All this time she had been wondering what he thought of them as, what label to put on their relationship and the damn answer had been staring her in the face the whole time. Like an idiot, she had just been too wrapped up in her emotions to hear him out all the way. Mavis she was such an idiot, she just hoped he would forgive her.

And since Natsu was a man of action, she knew just how she was going to apologize too.

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KTKG Says: So… we all good? I know a few were upset with the last chapter but never fear! I could never break up my OTP… at least not for too long. Anyway, thank you for reading and please, if you have time check out some of my other stories. For those of you who were wondering, I added the last and final chapter to **Thanks Happy**, and also another to **Big Sister Lucy**. As always, REVIEW, and I'll see you soon with a new chapter!


	16. Chapter 16

KTKG Says: Remember, I don't own Fairy Tail!

**Chapter Sixteen**

Bed roll… check.

Extra pair of pants… check.

Mind… nowhere to be found.

Natsu let out a frustrated sigh as he leaned back against the bed behind him. Looking around his room, he decided that he was done packing for now. He was sure that he had the essentials he needed, but right now his head as well as his heart was not focused on the task at hand. Rubbing a hand down his face, he let out another annoyed sigh.

He had been so close.

Lucy had been right there in front of him, and as fate would have it, he had been pulled aside for something else by the Master.

Another mission of all things.

He had entered the guild that night with every intention of pulling Lucy aside and finally settling things. He had originally decided to give her space for a couple of days, but after day two of no Lucy, Natsu felt as if he was going to lose it. Her scent was everywhere in the house and it was like torture. It was like she was there, but physically she wasn't, and Natsu absolutely hated it.

Besides, as he was slowly learning, a dragon was useless without his mate.

Sighing, he ran a hand through his wild, pink-colored locks as he tried to think up another plan.

He still had time to go back and try again. Mira had mentioned that it was Lucy's night to help her out at the bar and looking at the clock now, she had two hours left to her shift. He could run back to the guild and follow through with his original plan, which really was to pull her aside and…

And then what?

Natsu slumped even further as his mind raced for an answer to that question. Unfortunately for him, he came up with nothing. Honestly, he hadn't got anywhere past pulling her aside. He was so desperate to see her that now that he thought about it, he wasn't sure what he was going to actually do when he got to her. All he knew was the moment his hand came in contact with her skin, he was sure he wouldn't be able to think, especially if he was able to get up close and personal with her scent again.

Man, Igneel wasn't joking about this mating stuff, was he?

When his adoptive father had broached the subject with him when he was younger, Natsu admittedly was half listening. To his defense, he was more interested in learning fire magic than hearing about the opposite sex, although now in retrospect he really wished he had listened more closely. The one thing that had stuck with him was the fact that Igneel had mention something about dragons not being with their mates was like trying to breathe with no air. It just didn't work. Of course Natsu had thought this preposterous at the time, but now that he had had Lucy…

He believed every word of it.

Growling, he pushed himself to his feet and out of his bedroom. Natsu had never been one for plans, so as far as this one went, he was just going to wing it. Really, he just needed to have his arms around Lucy, at the very least just be near her. He was sure he'd think of something to say when he got there.

He had just reached his front door when it swung open on it's own, revealing on the other side of the threshold the woman that had been consuming his every thought. His eyes took in the sight, as his feet seemed to bond with the floor beneath him. He couldn't believe it, Lucy was there, standing in front of him.

"Lucy?"

His eyes roamed over the woman in front of him as he thought about all the possible reasons she was at his door. Her face was flushed and her chest was heaving as if she had been running. Had she ran all the way here? For what? Maybe to get the rest of her clothes or something he guessed. It didn't matter to him right at that second. She had managed to save him a trip to the guild to find her, so he was going to make the most of it and just come clean with everything.

Not giving her a chance to speak, let alone get pass him, he reached out and secured his hands around her wrists. He tried to ignore her shocked expression as he gently pulled her into the house. As much as he wanted to pull her into his arms, he had to resist. For once in his life, he had to take things slowly.

"Lucy look, there's something I need to tell y-"

He cut off what he was about to say when Lucy wretched herself out of his hold. Refusing to let her go this time, he reached for her again but stopped dead in his tracks when Lucy brought her own arms forward to wrap around his neck. Before he could ask what she was doing, Lucy brought her face in close and molded her lips to his.

Shocked, Natsu opened his mouth slightly in disbelief which Lucy took full advantage of and deepened the kiss. Her hands reached up to tangle themselves in his hair and without thinking, Natsu wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her flush against him. The momentum of his movement caused both of them to tip over and land thankfully on the couch behind them. Much to his dismay however, the action also caused their lips to be pulled apart.

The only sound in the room was their panting as their eyes finally locked on to each other. Natsu was sure the slight shock he was experiencing showed on his face. That was the first time that Lucy had initiated a kiss since they had started whatever it was they had. Did that mean what he thought it did? "Luce?"

"I'm sorry."

Natsu raised an eyebrow in question but Lucy sealed her lips over his once more, effectively distracting him. A couple of passion-filled seconds later, Lucy once again pulled herself away, well at least as far as she could get considering she was laying on top of Natsu. At the sight of tears in her eyes, Natsu found himself jerking into a sitting position and rearranging Lucy so she was facing him in his lap.

Her head was bowed so he couldn't see her face, but the salty scent of tears was unavoidable, and Lucy knew he smelled them. When she felt him gently place his hands on either side of her face and lift her head, she couldn't help but let a few tears escape down her cheeks. She had never realized how much she missed being in Natsu's arms until that moment.

She couldn't believe she had messed things up.

"Natsu, I'm so sor-"

This time, it was his turn to silence her with a kiss.

Natsu wasn't sure what she was going on about, but he needed her to be quiet for a moment. The problem was, now that he had her in his arms again, he couldn't help the need to feel her skin against his. He was getting distracted, he knew, but at that moment he didn't care. The feel of Lucy flower-scented skin against his lips was his main priority right now. Lucy's voice however snapped him back to reality.

"N-Natsu… I talked to Lisanna."

He instantly stopped his attention at her neck, right above her mark, to pull back and look at her in surprise. He didn't move away too far, seeing as Lucy had a generous handful of his scarf in her fists.

She released the cloth in her hands and ran her hands once again through his hair. Natsu could barely suppress the groan of pleasure at her actions, but he managed to stay somewhat focused as Lucy continued on with what she was saying.

"She told me everything. She said she was the one who kissed you and that… that you turned her down." Teary brown eyes locked onto his once again and Natsu could only tighten his hold on her hips. "I'm so sorry Natsu, I should have listened to you. I just… I was confused about everything. And then when Lisanna told me…" Her hand played with the mark on her neck as she avoided his gaze, but Natsu's was locked on where her hand was. "Can you forgive me?"

Slowly, he reached a hand to pull her hand away and touch her neck himself and felt her shudder as his fingers made contact. He locked his eyes back on hers as he spoke his next words, desperate for her to know how serious he was.

"Do you know what this is?"

He stroked the skin of her neck again slowly and was surprised when she nodded her head. There was only one person who could have told her, and secretly he thanked his fellow dragon slayer for doing it. He wasn't sure how he was going to break that to her, but it looked like Gajeel saved him the trouble. "Do you know what it means?"

She shook her head again, but this time she added a verbal answer as well. "It means that you marked me as your mate."

"And do you know what _that_ means?"

He didn't give her time to answer as he leaned forward and pressed his lips to the spot where his fingers had previously been, earning a gasp from the blonde in his lap. Smirking to himself, he pulled back placed his forehead against hers as he closed his eyes, their noses barely touching as he continued on.

"It means… It means I'll always forgive you, because I love you." The scent of fresh tears filled his nose and he pressed a soft kiss to her lips before enveloping her in a hug, which she fully retuned. "It's always been you Luce… I just… wasn't sure how to tell you."

Lucy barely held back the chocked sob of relief in her throat. He'd said it; he finally said the words she wanted to hear. Pulling back from the hug, she buried her hands in his scarf once again before shyly meeting his gaze. She couldn't believe what she was about to say.

"You don't always have to tell me… you can show me, too."

She watched as his eyebrows rose in what could only be surprise and she willed her face to remain its normal color. There was no need for her to be embarrassed though. He loved her, and she loved him, so why should she be ashamed to ask him to show her? She just hoped he got the hint. Just in case he didn't, she decided to try a different approach. Besides, she had something she had to tell him too.

"I love you too Natsu. Will you let me show you how much?"

Natsu felt his eyes widen as his heart rate instantly sped up. Did she mean what he thought she meant? What he hoped she meant? "Luce…" The kiss she used to silence him momentarily had his toes curling in his sandals. She used his scarf to pull him flush against her, the lower halves of their bodies unconsciously grinding against each other as her tongue battled with his. When air became a necessity, they broke away far enough from each other to take a couple of breaths.

"Please?"

Her breathless plea was enough of an answer to what her earlier question had meant, and never one to turn an request from Lucy down, he quickly stood up with her in his arms and started making his way back to the room he had came out of earlier.

Lucy instantly wrapped her legs and arms around him as she attacked his lips once again as they started making their way down the hall. He stumbled a bit, but managed to regain his footing quickly enough to get them to their destination. If his mate wanted to show him how much she loved him, who was he to deny her?

Besides, he had a few things he wanted to show her too, especially how much he'd missed her.

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KTKG Says: Is anyone still reading this? Well, to those of you who are, we're almost to the end! I'm thinking two or three more chapters, but really it depends on you guys. The real way to determine that is if you guys want the next chapter to be a lemon or not, it's really all up to you guys, so you know what to do… REVIEW!


	17. Chapter 17

KTKG Says: Alright, here it is… the chapter you have all been waiting for! Be warned! For those of you sensitive people or those of a young age, this chapter contains material that is suitable only for those 18 or older. Read at your own risk!

**Chapter Seventeen**

The grunt that escaped her echoed in the otherwise quiet room as her back hit the mattress. She bounced a couple of times as she tried to catch her breath, her eyes trying to adjust to the darkness all around her. Before she knew it, what little vision she had gained in the room was blocked as Natsu came to hover above her. She caught a flash of his easily recognizable hair illuminated in the moonlight before a warmth enveloped her and her eyes slid shut, a groan of appreciation escaping her mouth.

His hands were everywhere.

He had to be using his fire magic to heat them because she didn't remember them being this hot before. His fingers were practically scorching her wherever they came in contact with her skin. They blazed a trail from her rib cage where he toyed with the elastic of her bra, down to her waist where they splayed out, spreading their fire throughout her body, especially in the pit of her stomach.

Another gasp escaped her as equally hot lips descended onto her neck. Natsu latched his lips to her skin right where his mark was, kissing it gently before letting his tongue swirl over the spot lazily then licking his way up to her ear. Pure electricity jolted down her spine only to explode right at the junction of her thighs. Her temperature seemed to sore through the roof when she felt his fangs nip suddenly at her earlobe. It was starting to get too hot for her.

"Natsu… Cl…clothes…"

She could barely put a thought together let alone a coherent sentence with the blasphemous things Natsu was doing to her with his mouth. He seemed to get the gist of what she was trying to say though as he pulled back a smirked at her, the moonlight catching and glinting off one of his sparkling white fangs.

That grin was all the warning she received before he decided to first rip the button up shirt she had worn apart, sending buttons flying all over the place before he proceeded blatantly use his magic to heat the finger hooked through the front of her bra, the two halves falling open seconds later.

"Natsu! That was my favorite bra!"

He chuckled as he helped her out of what remained of the top and bra she had been wearing, then shed his vest and scarf as well, throwing the articles of clothes over the side of the bed. He settled back over her once more, the grin never leaving his face as he replied. "Relax, I'll buy you another one. You know, you could always just not wear one."

Lucy frowned at the comment but lost all train of thought as Natsu's bared chest came down to touch hers, his mouth covering hers, silencing anything she was going to say. The skin on skin contact had Lucy's brain shutting-down to everything else but the kiss, which she fully melted in to. The kiss started out gentle, his lips slowly moving in time with hers while she gently buried her hands in his hair.

The minute their tongues touched however, all gentleness went flying out the window.

As their tongues battled it out for dominance, Lucy automatically fisted her hands in Natsu's hair, her fingers securing themselves in his rosy locks and pulling him even closer if that was possible. Their teeth clashed, and his nose was jabbing into the side of her face, but she didn't care. Lucy was desperate to get closer to Natsu, her lover, and her _mate_.

Vaguely, she felt him tugging her hair tie free and bury a hand in her own golden locks, fisting the follicles and giving them a hard yank back, inadvertently breaking the kiss. She let out a sound that was a mixture of pain and surprise. Natsu was completely different than last time. Instead of being gentle and patient with her like had been before, this time he was being rough and demanding, almost as if he were claiming her all over again but this time with more urgency.

Truth be told, she absolutely loved it.

She gasped again when she suddenly felt his searing fingers begin to kneed her breasts, his mouth moving away from hers and leaving a searing trail of open mouth kisses down her throat to the valley of her chest. She couldn't help but squirm as his nimble fingers began to play with and tweak her hardened nipple, something between a giggle and a gasp escaping her throat. When his mouth replaced his fingers, Lucy felt her back automatically arch in an attempt to get closer.

She swore that his mouth would be the death of her. A sweet, luxurious death that she wouldn't regret at all.

Her hands lost their grip in his hair thanks to her pleasure induced daze and Natsu began his descent once again down her body, this time his kisses stopped right above the waist of her jean shorts. She cracked an eye open when she felt him pause, only to find him focused intently on the area between her thighs. "Natsu?" He didn't look up at her question. Instead, he placed his hand on either side of her hips, once again heating his hands to burn through the material of not only her jeans, but her underwear as well.

She jerked as he threw the now pieces of scrap off the side of the bed, intent on giving him a piece of her mind despite the mood when the look in his eyes stopped her dead in her tracks, as well as the realization that she was now completely bare underneath him.

The way his eyes roamed over her in a manner that had her feeling as if he were committing this moment, her body, to memory. A wave of emotion washed over her as she realized that she was doing the same thing; the intense look on his face, his disheveled hair thanks to her own fingers, as well as the way the moonlight gave him a halo affect that had her memorizing the whole thing and locking it away.

Her eyes began to sting when she realized that this almost didn't happen.

Natsu locked eyes with her, sending another pleasurable jolt of electricity down her spine, which only intensified along with her heart rate as she watched him slowly slide his warm hands up her legs before resting on her thighs. Applying slight pressure, he eased her legs apart from and settled himself between them, his face even with her most private spot. When Natsu's gaze finally broke away from her own only to lock on to what was in front of him, Lucy suddenly felt like her face was going to explode.

"Natsu, what are y—"

Anything else she was about to say was effectively cut off as Natsu reached out with his tongue and gave her center a long, leisurely lick. Her mind seemed to shut down as her body arched itself off the bed in response, her hands fisting in the comforter beneath her. His hand shot out to push her back down to the mattress and a whimper escaped her as she settled back down. He gripped her hips to anchor her down and at an angle before finishing what he had started seconds before.

Natsu's mouth at her core was absolute sweet torture. He had set a steady pace with his tongue, alternating between long languid licks and short quick flicks of the muscle that focused on her most sensitive bundle of nerves. She couldn't help the way her body writhed and contorted under his attention, her voice sounding utterly primal and loud as it ripped from her throat with every stroke of Natsu's tongue. Before she knew it, the fire in the pit of her stomach was steadily growing to an inferno as she was getting closer and closer to her release. When Natsu's eyes once again locked on to hers that was all the push she needed over the edge.

Lucy felt her whole body lock up as fireworks exploded behind her eyelids. Her breath came out in heavy pants as Natsu retracted his hands from her waist and stood, leaving her chest heaving and her body boneless as he stepped away from the bed for a moment. She watched from her sprawled position on the bed as he made quick work of his own pants and underwear while she managed to catch her breath.

It was all for naught however, when the sight of Natsu bare before her stole whatever breath she had managed to catch away from her.

The last time they were in this position, Lucy didn't really have time to take in the sight of Natsu in all of this natural glory. Now however, she committed every muscle, every scar to memory as he made his way back over to the bed. He took his time climbing back onto the mattress and settling himself slowly back on top of her.

Positioning himself at her entrance, he used his weight to push himself forward and into her, easing himself in bit by bit. His arms came to rest on either side of her shoulders, a majority of his weight being supported by his elbows. She had no where to look except for his face, but at the feeling of Natsu invading her once again after so long, she couldn't help her eyes sliding shut in pleasure.

Once he was nestled inside her, he paused, making Lucy open her eyes in question only to find Natsu looking at her with what could only be described as adoration in his eyes. The wave of emotion she had felt before washed over her once more and once again, she felt the stinging of tears in her eyes. How long had she dreamed of this happening again? Too long, and now that she had him here, with her, _in _her, she couldn't help but feel complete. He really was her other half, and to think, because of her willingness to jump to conclusions she could have lost him forever.

"I love you."

She swallowed the lump in her throat as a few tears escaped down her cheeks. He moved forward, moving deep inside her as he leaned forward to kiss her tears away. He shifted his hips back, pulling a ways out of her before snapping his hips forward again to fill her completely as he kissed her neck once more.

"I love you." He thrust again, this time hard enough to earn a delighted grunt from her. He pulled back once more, his face turning back to hers to look her in the eyes once more, willing her to believe what he was telling her. How could she not?

He set a steady rhythm, pumping in and out at a even pace as their tongues battled once again for dominance. Eventually they broke apart for air, and that's when Natsu decided to really pick up the pace. All Lucy could do was try to hold on as Natsu began driving into her with reckless abandonment.

The room was silent save for the sounds of their heavy breathing, Lucy's loud moans, and their bodies coming together over and over again. She felt herself once again nearing her limit and tried to grab on to Natsu for leverage but ended up failing when her fingers slid against his slick skin. "N-Natsu… I going to…" His pace was frantic now, and Lucy could tell that he was getting close to his own release. She tried to hold her own off, but a few more thrusts from Natsu had her falling once again into her own private fireworks show. Natsu wasn't far behind as seconds later she felt him give one final thrust, he buried his face in her neck as his body locked up, his arms crushing her to him as the most primal sound she's ever hear ripped from his throat.

They lay there for a couple of seconds, boneless and spent, while their heart rates tried to return to normal. Natsu had rolled off of her but hadn't gone too far considering his head was still resting on her chest. Her fingers laced themselves in his hair and she absentmindedly scratched his scalp as her mind tried to wrap around everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours.

She couldn't believe it, she had Natsu back. She had him back and even though everything wasn't quite perfect yet, it looked as if things were going to be okay. For the third time that night, the water works started up.

"Luce?"

She covered her face as soon as she felt Natsu shift to sit up and look at her. Still weak from their session, Natsu easily pried her hands away and almost looked panicked at the few stray tears that ran down her cheeks. A gurgled laugh bubbled up her throat at his expression and he let go of one of her wrists to wipe at her face. "Don't worry I'm not sad, I'm… I'm happy. Relieved really." Natsu's shoulders sagged in relief at her statement and before she knew it, he had wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulling her against him as he laid them back down.

"I love you Luce. No matter what happens, I love you, you hear me?"

Lucy knew she was smiling the goofiest smile ever but she really didn't care. At that moment, she was spent and satisfied from making love with her _mate_, and she would never get tired of hearing him tell her the three words she had been longing to hear from him.

Ever.

"I love you too Natsu." She snuggled deeper into his side as he reached to bring the covers up and around them, exhaustion from the day's events finally taking over. Natsu's steady heartbeat underneath her ear was a lullaby she had missed dearly and time away didn't dull its affect on her. Clearing her throat, she threw her leg over his and finally drifted off with one last thought in her head.

She had never been gladder that Natsu lived way out in the woods. With the way her throat was feeling she was sure she had been loud enough to wake the dead. Thank Mavis she didn't have to face any neighbors in the morning.

The guild however, was going to be a different story completely.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

KTKG Says: Omigosh I am so red-faced right now you'd think my head was going to explode if you saw me! I can't believe I actually just wrote this! If you haven't figure it out already, this was my first time writing a lemon. I'm slightly embarrassed to admit this fact, but hey, there's a first time for everything! How'd I do? Did you like it? Love it? Was it just… meh? REVIEW!


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